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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| China explosion: Fires at Shandong chemical plant | China explosion: Fires at Shandong chemical plant |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| An explosion has been reported at a chemical plant in China's eastern province of Shandong. | An explosion has been reported at a chemical plant in China's eastern province of Shandong. |
| Large flames could be seen from the site of the blast in Zibo County. There are no reports of casualties. | |
| The People's Daily said a warehouse at the Runxing chemical plant exploded and firefighters went to the scene. | |
| There is a residential area about 1km from the plant. Earlier this month blasts in the northern city of Tianjin killed at least 116 people. | There is a residential area about 1km from the plant. Earlier this month blasts in the northern city of Tianjin killed at least 116 people. |
| The proximity of industrial and chemical plants to residential areas has become hugely controversial. | |
| Saturday's blast took place near the city of Zibo. It is not yet clear if homes in the area have been damaged. | Saturday's blast took place near the city of Zibo. It is not yet clear if homes in the area have been damaged. |
| The explosion triggered a fire and a dozen fire engines were at the scene, Xinhua news agency reports. | |
| The BBC's Chinese service's Howard Zhang says that the blasts at Shandong and Tianjin have taken on a political significance and threaten to overshadow China's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of its victory over Japan in World War Two. | |
| The Beijing Times reported that the Runxing plant contained adiponitrile - a chemical which is reported to be used for the production of nylon and can be harmful to skin. | |
| Windows shattered at the scene of the blast, state media reported, and its vibration could be felt 2km from the site. | Windows shattered at the scene of the blast, state media reported, and its vibration could be felt 2km from the site. |
| The operators of the Tianjin site are being investigated for allowing dangerous chemicals to be stored too close to homes. | The operators of the Tianjin site are being investigated for allowing dangerous chemicals to be stored too close to homes. |
| The blasts there also raised fears of contamination by toxic substances. | The blasts there also raised fears of contamination by toxic substances. |
| They also sparked a nationwide directive cracking down on the storage of chemicals. | They also sparked a nationwide directive cracking down on the storage of chemicals. |
| Officially the minimum distance between businesses with dangerous chemicals and public buildings and transport networks is meant to be 1km. | |
| But data from the Tianjin incident showed there were at least three major residential communities inside that distance from the warehouse. |