Chemical firm ignored law before blast

The Ministry of Emergency Management called for penalties for those responsible for an explosion at a chemical company in Sichuan province that killed 19 people and injured 12 on July 12.

The incident pointed to ineffective supervision and a lack of a sense of safety development from the local government.

The explosion, which occurred at Yibin Hengda Technology Co in Yibin's Jiang'an county, was the result of the company's disrespect for the law and regulations, the ministry said.