Industrial accident: 69 killed in China factory blast
Chinese President Xi Jinping demands a full inquiry into the blast
KUNSHAN:
China suffered its worst industrial accident in a year on Saturday when an explosion killed at least 69 people and injured more than 120 at a factory that makes wheels for US carmakers. The blast in the wealthy eastern province of Jiangsu occurred around 7:30am in Kunshan city, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai, after an explosion ripped through a workshop that polishes wheel hubs. A preliminary investigation suggested the blast at Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products was triggered when a flame was lit in a dust-filled room, the local government said at a news conference, describing the incident as a serious safety breach. State news agency Xinhua quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as demanding a full inquiry into the blast and saying those found responsible must be punished.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2014.
China suffered its worst industrial accident in a year on Saturday when an explosion killed at least 69 people and injured more than 120 at a factory that makes wheels for US carmakers. The blast in the wealthy eastern province of Jiangsu occurred around 7:30am in Kunshan city, about an hour’s drive from Shanghai, after an explosion ripped through a workshop that polishes wheel hubs. A preliminary investigation suggested the blast at Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products was triggered when a flame was lit in a dust-filled room, the local government said at a news conference, describing the incident as a serious safety breach. State news agency Xinhua quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping as demanding a full inquiry into the blast and saying those found responsible must be punished.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2014.