Explosion at chemical plant in west Japan kills 1, injures 10

TOKYO - An explosion at a chemical plant in Fukui prefecture, western Japan, on Monday killed one person and injured 10 others, local rescue officials said.

According to rescue officials, an explosion at the Fukui "Protein Chemical" plant in Wakasa Town, Fukui prefecture, which occurred at 1:45 pm local time, resulted in 11 people being rushed to hospital.

Of them, a man in his 40s was pronounced dead and a man in his 20s remains unconscious.

The nine other victims of the explosion at the factory in the prefecture sustained light injuries, the local fire department said.

The factory, part of the Wakasa Techno Valley in the town, had part of its roof blown off and windows destroyed in the explosion, according to local accounts and media footage.

The factory's parent company in Tokyo confirmed that an explosion had occurred at its plant in Fukui Prefecture.

The plant is responsible for manufacturing pharmaceuticals and chemicals, it said.

An eyewitness working in the factory at the time of the explosion, told local media he heard a loud bang and saw plumes of orange smoke rising.

The local police and the fire department are investigating the cause of the explosion, the parent company said.