BEIJING — A massive explosion erupted at a chemical plant in eastern China’s Shandong province on Tuesday, sending thick columns of black smoke into the sky and shaking buildings miles away, according to state media and eyewitnesses.
The blast occurred around midday at the Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co. facility, located in an industrial park in Weifang, a major manufacturing hub in eastern China. The plant produces pesticides and chemicals for medical use and employs more than 500 workers, according to corporate filings.
State broadcaster CCTV reported that rescue operations were immediately launched, with over 230 emergency personnel deployed to the scene. Authorities have not yet disclosed whether there are any casualties or injuries.
The force of the explosion was so powerful it shattered windows at a storage facility more than three kilometers (two miles) away, a local resident told reporters. The man, who requested anonymity out of fear of government reprisal, said the blast shook his home, which lies over seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from the site.
“I went to the window after the shock, and there was a huge black column of smoke rising into the sky,” he said.
Video footage circulating on Chinese social media and verified by local sources showed a towering plume of dark smoke billowing from the industrial complex, visible for miles across the relatively flat terrain.
The incident at Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co. raises fresh concerns about industrial safety in China’s booming chemical sector. While the company has not had major reported violations in recent years, China’s chemical industry has seen repeated deadly accidents, often linked to lax safety enforcement and aging infrastructure.
In recent years, Shandong — one of China’s key industrial provinces — has been the site of several major chemical and manufacturing plant explosions, prompting periodic crackdowns by local authorities. However, systemic safety challenges persist, especially in densely packed industrial zones.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, officials had not released any updates on injuries or fatalities, despite the scale of the explosion. CCTV confirmed that firefighting and search-and-rescue operations were ongoing, but access to the blast zone appeared heavily restricted.
In line with standard government protocol, Chinese authorities are likely to launch a formal investigation, although results are often not made public.
The Gaomi city government and Weifang municipal emergency departments have not issued statements beyond confirming the incident and dispatching emergency responders.
