At least one person was killed in a fire at a chemical plant in Shanghai on Saturday, state media reported, which reported clouds of smoke across the city.
The fire at the Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co. plant, located in the Jinshan district, southwest of the Chinese megacity, started around 4 a.m. (2000 GMT) and was brought under control a few hours later, according to the New China news agency.
“According to our initial information, the fire has already caused one death
,” said the same source.
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This fire broke out as Shanghai, the economic capital of China, cautiously resumes its activity after being completely confined for two months in response to an epidemic outbreak of Covid-19.
The lockdown, which officially ended in early June, led to factory closures and disruptions to supply chains.
According to local media, residents near this petrochemical plant heard an explosion.
It was then followed by a fire.
Videos circulating on social media show a thick cloud of smoke and ash rising into the sky.
Aerial video showed three fires in separate buildings.
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The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched experts to the scene, CCTV reported.
The media did not indicate the cause of this fire.