21 killed in China coal plant blast

TWENTY-ONE people have been killed in an explosion at a power station in China’s Hubei Province.

The explosion occurred yesterday as a high-pressure steam pipe exploded during testing at the Madian Gangue coal-fired power plant in Dangyang City, according to local media. Five were injured in the blast with three of them in critical condition, China’s state news agency Xinhua reports.

Photos of the devastation show torn pipes, collapsed ceilings and shattered windows. The plant started operations earlier this year and certain facilities are still undergoing tests, reports China Radio International.

Despite China’s commitment to reduce its dependence on coal, reports including from IChemE’s Energy Centre have warned that weak national energy policies will leave countries including China struggling to meet targets agreed at the UN’s COP21 climate meeting.

Greenpeace warned in a report published last month that loopholes in the suspension of new coal-fired capacity in China could still allow a new plant to enter operation every week for the next seven years.

An official investigation into the blast at the Madian Gangue plant is underway.