A huge fire broke out at the headquarters of a petrochemical plant in southeast Shanghai on Saturday, killing at least one person.
The fire broke out around 4 a.m. at an ethylene glycol processing plant owned by Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical, a state-owned oil company whose headquarters are in an industrial park in the Jinshan suburb.
Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control, the company said in a statement posted to its Chinese social media account. Sinopec said a “strange driver” died in the disaster and one of its employees was injured.
“The exact cause is being investigated further,” the company said.
Videos of the scene on social media showed raging fires and huge plumes of dark smoke billowing from what appeared to be part of the Sinopec facility that is separate from the district’s residential area.
Some residents who lived near the facility fled their buildings after hearing loud bangs from the blast and described a pungent smell from several kilometers away, according to a local media report.
The company said the fire was “effectively controlled” but was “conducting protective fire”.
Sinopec said it is monitoring the area for volatile organic compounds and has not yet identified any adverse effects on local water supplies.
Joy Dong contributed to the coverage.