Eight hurt, six missing in sewage room blast

A sewage control room of a chemical technology firm in Lanzhou city of Northwest China was rocked by an explosion on Thursday evening, leaving at least eight injured and six missing, according to the CGTN.

The blast occurred at 6:50 pm in Lanzhou New Area district in the north of the city in a firm that mainly produces pesticide, according to the onsite investigators.

Preliminary investigation showed that there was no smoke, fire or toxic gas in the 600-square-meter site of the explosion. It also ruled out secondary hazards.

Yin Hong, Gansu Party secretary, went to the site to help with the rescue work and visited the injured in hospital. He ordered all-out effort to save the injured and find the missing people, strengthen supervision of the firm to prevent secondary hazards and set up an investigation team immediately to thoroughly probe the accident.

Li Peixing, vice-governor of Gansu, led the rescue team formed by the provincial emergency management and the provincial fire departments at the explosion site. The provincial health commission has organized medical experts to help with onsite rescue work.