CHINA – Explosion at Baotou Steel Plant Leaves Two Dead, Five Missing
Two people were killed and five others remain missing after an explosion at a steel plate manufacturing facility in Baotou, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, local authorities said on Sunday night.
The blast occurred at around 3 p.m. at the rare earth steel plate plant operated by Baogang United Steel. By 5:30 p.m., 66 injured individuals had been sent to hospitals for treatment, including three who were reported to be in critical condition, according to local emergency management and fire rescue departments.
Following the incident, the regional Party committee and government initiated an emergency response and dispatched rescue teams to conduct search and rescue operations at the site.
Inner Mongolia Party Secretary Wang Weizhong and regional government Chairman Bao Gang issued instructions and rushed to the scene to direct rescue efforts. Wang stressed the importance of orderly and scientific rescue operations, providing full medical care to the injured, preventing secondary hazards, and accelerating the investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Baogang United Steel said it has mobilized all available resources to locate the missing, verify casualty figures, and ensure treatment for those injured.
Authorities said the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Photo credit: China Youth Daily. All rights reserved.