Chemical Plant Explosion in China

Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Company Explosion site and range: Bing Map,
Photo Credits: New York Times

On 21^st March, 2019, around 15:00 an explosion occurred in Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Plant. Some take away points from this Environmental Disaster are as follows:

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• This accident killed almost 78 and injured more than 600 people
• Cause of this accident is not under investigation
• According to one survivor, fire started from a Methane Truck and spread to benzene storage area that caused explosion
• It took almost 12 hours to take the fire under control (Fire started on Thursday shapely before 15:00 and at 3:00 am Friday fire fighter controlled it. At 7:00 am, Friday, situation was under control.
• Almost 900 Firefighter participated in fire extinguishing process
• Explosion caused a mini earthquake with 2.2 range
• Due to this explosion glasses of buildings were broken within 5 Km range. There are several residential areas in this 5 km range and
• There are three elementary schools and two kindergartens within 2 km of the explosion site
• International journalist were blocked from visit the area/Hospitals and anti drone technology was used to stop shoot of the explosion area by news channels. Only few local journalist were allowed to visit the site and hospitals.
• Almost 4000 local were evacuated from the area
• This chemical plant was fined several times by the regulatory authority for violation of Safety Laws but was allowed to keep operating
• Jiangsu environmental protection bureau conducted air quality monitoring of the disaster area and found that levels of benzene , toluene and xylene were not abnormal and chloroform and acetone in disaster area were within limits

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  Fire Emerging from the Chemical Plant Explosion site. Photo Credit: (Reuters)

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  Firefighter trying to control the fire. Photo Credit: (Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)

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  Arial View of Chemical Plant after the Explosion. Photo Credit: (ImagineChina/AP)

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  Broken Windows in nearby building. Photo Credit: (Gerry Shih/The Washington Post)

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  A broken house after the explosion. Photo Credits: (Gerry Shih/The Washington Post)

There have been consistent disasters like this in china, in 2015 similar blast in Tianjin killed 170 people in southeast of Beijing. According to Greenpeace there is on accident/day in china related to chemical plants.
Locals in & around these chemical industries are concerned about their safety but they are even afraid form Chinese authorities, to speak up.

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