Death toll rises to 10 after blast at gas plant in central China
- 19 people seriously hurt and five still missing after explosion at Henan Coal Gas Group factory
- Force of blast shatters windows and doors of buildings in a 3km radius
Friday’s blast at the Henan Coal Gas Group factory, which shattered windows and doors of buildings in a 3km (1.9 mile) radius, also left 19 people seriously injured and more with light injuries, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
The explosion occurred in the air separation unit of Henan Coal’s factory, it said, with those hurt sent to four different hospitals. All production at the plant has been halted.
“Many windows and doors within a 3km radius were shattered, and some interior doors were also blown out by the blast,” the broadcaster said on its Twitter-like Weibo social media account.
Local media showed amateur videos of a massive column of black smoke billowing from the factory and debris littering the roads.
Other images showed the doors and windows of homes blown out and shuttered shops with dented metal fronts.