By Angela Sy
The fact that this disaster took place at an explosives manufacturer makes it somewhat less surprising but not any less horrific. An explosion occured Monday morning in Zhangqiu City. Twelve people have been confirmed dead and about 22 more missing as of writing.
Xinhua News and the South China Morning Post report that debris was thrown almost 600 feet into the air. Rescuers are working to find more survivors buried under the rubble.
The cause of the blast is still unknown, but as the website states that the company manufactures about 10,000 tons of industrial explosives annually, one can hazard a guess.
This isn’t the first industrial explosion in Shandong. In January chemical plant blew up, injuring dozens of people.
