In protective gear, rescue teams search for victims of deadly chemical plant blast
At least 64 people were killed, hundreds were injured and several dozens were missing.
Web Desk (Reuters) - Rescue teams in protective gear continued to search for victims at the toxic scene of a deadly chemical plant blast in eastern China on Sunday (March 24).
At least 64 people were killed, hundreds were injured and several dozens were missing after Thursday s blast at the Chenjiagang Industrial Park in the city of Yancheng, in Jiangsu province, officials said on Saturday (March 23).
On Saturday one man was dragged from the rubble and taken to hospital after being trapped for around forty hours state media said. But at the site on Sunday a firefighter told Reuters that three days on from the blast rescue teams do not think they will find any more survivors.
In nearby Wangshang village, part of which lies just several hundred metres from the industrial park, windows were smashed and house structures damaged by the blast. On Sunday some residents were seen assessing the damage to their homes or clearing up. Others, including 65-year-old He Qiulan are still trying to recover from the trauma.
"I felt I might be dead," she said. "Later that evening my grandchildren came in, cleared away everything that d fallen on top of me and dragged me out. I can t stop crying and cried for three days and not a single person has come to me to ask about my situation."
The cause of the explosion was under investigation, but an editorial in the China Daily newspaper said it was likely to be identified as "a serious accident caused by human negligence". The company, Tianjiayi Chemical Co -- which produces more than 30 organic chemical compounds, some highly flammable -- had a history of safety violations and had been punished repeatedly, state news agency Xinhua said.
