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Deadly fire in China poultry plant Deadly fire in China poultry plant
(about 1 hour later)
A fire at a poultry processing plant in China has killed at least 112 people, officials say. A fire at a poultry processing plant in China has killed at least 119 people, officials say.
The fire broke out at a slaughterhouse in Dehui in Jilin province early on Monday, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.The fire broke out at a slaughterhouse in Dehui in Jilin province early on Monday, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
The fire is now said to have been mostly put out and bodies are being recovered.The fire is now said to have been mostly put out and bodies are being recovered.
There are reports that the fire took hold following three explosions in an electrical system. There are reports that it took hold early in the morning and that explosions were heard.
It is China's most deadly fire since 2000, when 309 people died in a fire in a dance hall in Luoyang, Henan province. Some sources including the provincial fire department suggest there may have been an ammonia leak which either caused the fire or made fighting the blaze more hazardous.
Other accounts speak of an electrical fault.
It is China's deadliest fire since 2000, when 309 people died in a blaze in a dance hall in Luoyang, in Henan province.
About 100 workers had managed to escape from the Baoyuan plant, Xinhua said, adding that the "complicated interior structure" of the building and narrow exits had made rescue work more difficult.About 100 workers had managed to escape from the Baoyuan plant, Xinhua said, adding that the "complicated interior structure" of the building and narrow exits had made rescue work more difficult.
It said the plant's front gate had been locked when the blaze began.It said the plant's front gate had been locked when the blaze began.
The number of workers trapped inside the plant had yet to be confirmed, the agency added. The number of workers trapped inside the plant had yet to be confirmed, the agency added, and it is not clear how many workers have been accounted for. An unnamed government official told AFP news agency he expected the death toll to rise.
Dozens of injured have been sent to hospital, but the severity of their injuries remains unclear.Dozens of injured have been sent to hospital, but the severity of their injuries remains unclear.
Photographs posted on Chinese news websites showed thick smoke coming from the large cement and corrugated iron sheds, with fire engines still at the scene. Pictures from the scene showed the roof mostly burned away to reveal blackened, twisted girders.
PanicPanic
Workers interviewed by state broadcaster CCTV said the fire broke out at about 06:00 (22:00 Sunday GMT) during a shift change and may have started in a locker room.Workers interviewed by state broadcaster CCTV said the fire broke out at about 06:00 (22:00 Sunday GMT) during a shift change and may have started in a locker room.
The lights went out, triggering panic as workers rushed to find an exit, 44-year-old Wang Fengya told Xinhua.The lights went out, triggering panic as workers rushed to find an exit, 44-year-old Wang Fengya told Xinhua.
"When I finally ran out and looked back at the plant, I saw high flames," Ms Wang was quoted as saying. Xinhua said she and three other workers were sent to hospital in the nearby provincial capital of Changchun. Another worker, Guo Yan, told the agency the emergency exit for her workstation was blocked and that she was knocked to the ground in a crush of workers trying to escape through a side door.
Some sources including the provincial fire department suggest there may have been an ammonia leak, while others point to an electric spark in the plant. "I could only crawl desperately forward," Ms Guo, 39, was quoted as saying. "I worked alongside an old lady and a young girl, but I don't know if they survived or not."
An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way, Xinhua said.An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way, Xinhua said.
The company that owns the farm, Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Co, employs some 1,200 people and produces some 67,000 tonnes of chicken products every year. The plant is located around 800km (500 miles) north-east of Beijing. The plant is owned by Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Co. It was only established in 2009 and was not an old or antiquated facility.
Located around 800km (500 miles) north-east of Beijing, it employs some 1,200 people and produces some 67,000 tonnes of chicken products every year.
Chickens are slaughtered at the plant and then cut up for retail - a process that takes place in cold conditions. Ammonia is used as part of the cooling system and in such plants flammable foam insulation is commonly used to keep temperatures low.
Workplace safety standards can often be poor in China, with fatal accidents regularly reported at large factories and mines, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai.Workplace safety standards can often be poor in China, with fatal accidents regularly reported at large factories and mines, says the BBC's John Sudworth in Shanghai.
Those lax standards are variously linked to corruption, the prioritisation of efficient production over worker safety in building design, and poor enforcement of safety rules.Those lax standards are variously linked to corruption, the prioritisation of efficient production over worker safety in building design, and poor enforcement of safety rules.