A cooling tower platform plunged to the ground in the early hours, trapping an unknown number of people beneath it, Xinhua said. Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety standards are often laxly enforced. In August a pipeline explosion at a coal-fired power plant in the neighbouring province of Hubei killed 21. Earlier this summer more than 130 people were taken to hospital after chemicals leaked from a plant in eastern China. In April a chemical fire burned for 16 hours in the coastal province of Jiangsu after an explosion at a facility storing chemicals and fuel, requiring 400 firefighters to quell the flames.

Source: The Nation Bangkok November 24, 2016 03:17 UTC