Society
Dust blast at workshop kills 19
By Yan Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-02-26 07:46
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Two detained for work safety violations in Hebei province
Nineteen people are dead and 49 injured after an explosion in a starch factory in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, on Wednesday, the local government said yesterday.
 Firefighters extinguish the flames after a factory was ripped apart by a dust explosion, killing 19 people and injuring 49, in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province. [Lu Da] |
The massive dust blast ripped through a workshop at the Qianhuangdao Lihua Starch Co Ltd in Funing county, Qinhuangdao, leveling a major portion of the one-story building that covers nearly 6,200 square meters.
Police have detained the company's deputy general manager for work safety violations and the director of the workshop.
Footage on China Central Television showed smashed windows in the remaining section of the workshop that had been used as office space. White smoke blanketed what remained of the workshop.
About 107 people were working when the explosion occurred at about 4 pm, authorities said.
Eighteen workers died at the scene and 50 others were injured. However, the death toll rose to 19 yesterday after one injured worker died.
The condition of the 49 injured workers is listed as stable. Among them, 15 were trapped in the debris but later rescued by firefighters, according to the local fire brigade. Up to 106 firemen were deployed to extinguish the flames.
An initial investigation indicated a dust explosion caused the tragedy, Fu Qiang, deputy director of the Funing county government told Xinhua News Agency.
Dust explosions are caused by the sudden ignition of a mixture of air and a heavy concentration of combustible dust particles.
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Rescuers carry a body recovered from a workshop after a dust explosion in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, February 25, 2010.[Photo/Xinhua] |
The flame or spark that sets off a dust explosion can be produced by friction, static electricity, matches, defective wiring, blowtorches or any open flame. Dust composed of grain, flour, starch, coffee, cotton, coal, sugar or other organic materials is highly explosive.
To guard against dust explosions, exhaust fans are used to pull dust into ducts that carry it outside the building or mine shaft, which are also prone to dust explosions.
Work safety authorities, along with local police and officials from the local government, are continuing to investigate the incident, Fu said.
Local authorities have ordered the factory to halt production at its remaining three workshops.
The city government has launched a two-month overhaul of work safety, Fu said.
The private-run company, with a registered capital of 1 billion yuan ($147 million), produces mainly starch and glucose. It hires 3,300 employees, according to the company's website.
China had its deadliest dust explosion accident in 1987, when a blast at a textile factory in Harbin city killed 54 workers and injured 1,812.
