The blast occurred a few minutes before noon on Tuesday, shaking part of a chemical plant operated by Shandong Youdao Chemical in the city of Weifang, Reuters reported.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media and verified by Reuters showed plumes of orange and black smoke billowing into the sky. Windows of nearby buildings were ripped from their hinges by the explosion, one of the videos showed.

More than 200 emergency workers responded to the blast, according to a statement issued by China’s emergency response authority on Tuesday afternoon.

Drone video posted by The Beijing News, a government-run publication, showed smoke emerging from the chemical plant and from a second, unidentified facility nearby.
Baidu Maps, a navigation app, shows other manufacturing companies next to Youdao’s plant, including a textile company, a machinery company and a firm that makes industrial coating materials.

The Weifang Ecological Environment Bureau dispatched staff to test the site of the blast but said there were no results yet available. The bureau advised nearby residents to wear face masks in the meantime, Beijing News reported, according to Reuters.

MNA