19 dead in chemical plant blast in China

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - At least 19 people were killed and 12 injured Thursday evening in a chemical plant blast in Sichuan, southwest China, said the Xinhua news agency on Friday.

According to Xinhua, the blast occurred around 18.30 pm local time (1000 GMT) at Yibin Hengda Technology Co., a chemical plant in an industrial park in southwestern Jiang'an County, the city of Yibin.

The Jiang'an county government said the fire from the blast was put out on Friday morning and the injured were in stable condition, said Xinhua.