An explosion in a chemical plant leaves at least 47 dead

At least 47 people have died and 640 others have been injured by the blast recorded in a pesticide factory in eastern China, the local newspaper "People's Daily" reported Friday.

According to Yancheng authorities in Jiangsu Province, relief operations are still ongoing and the explosion is under investigation, which took place on Thursday and was not checked only Friday at 15:00 (local time).

The wounded, of whom 32 are in critical condition and 58 are serious, have been transferred to 16 hospitals in the region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for a comprehensive rescue operation and investigation into the blast. In addition, he stressed that China should take more precautions to protect against industrial accidents, especially in hazardous areas such as the production of chemicals.

Video images and photographs published by state media showed a fire and broken windows in neighboring buildings. The fire would have spread to several factories surrounding the pesticide factory, which belongs to the Tianjiayi chemical company.

The Jiangsu Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement that the region's environmental monitoring station had not recorded concentrations of toluene, xylene and benzene coming out of the ordinary.

According to state media, among the injured were children from a crèche located near the industrial park where the events took place. Industrial accidents, both in mines and factories, are common in China.