Fire at Chinese plant kills 38

A FIRE which broke out yesterday at a goods factory in China has killed 38 people and injured two others. The New York Times called it “one of the most deadly fires in the country in recent years”.

State news company Xinhua reported that the two minorly injured individuals were sent to hospital. In an earlier report, it said the fire started at 16:22 local time at a facility in Anyang city, Henan Province, China, and was put out at around 23:00.

The fire occurred at a factory belonging to Kaixinda Trading, which reports say sells a range of goods including chemical products, but primarily makes clothes said Xinhua. The news company added that the incident was caused by welding operations that violated regulations. It reports that the country’s municipal emergency management department said it has been initially determined that sparks from the welding ignited cotton fabric at the factory. Suspects involved are reportedly “under police control”.

The New York Times said investigation is still underway.

China has a history of industrial accidents, which continue to occur despite Government promises to improve safety, including after a 2015 chemical warehouse incident killed 173 people. In 2019, a chemical facility explosion killed 78 people. Earlier this year, a worker was killed in a fire at a Sinopec plant.