Massive explosion rocks chemical facility in Eastern China; thick smoke, toxic concerns grip city | WATCH

Screengrabs from the video showing fire at the chemical plant.

A powerful explosion rocked a chemical plant in China’s eastern Shandong province on Tuesday, sending massive plumes of smoke into the air, according to state media reports. While details on casualties remain unclear, the blast occurred just before noon at a workshop operated by Shandong Youdao Chemical in the city of Weifang.

Over 200 emergency personnel were deployed to the scene to battle the ensuing fire and manage the crisis. The incident quickly drew widespread attention on Chinese social media, with growing concerns about potential exposure to toxic gases. Authorities have instructed emergency teams to swiftly contain the blaze and verify the number of injuries or fatalities.

A powerful explosion rocked a chemical plant in Gaomi County, ChinaEmergency crews are on site providing rescue and medical aid pic.twitter.com/B9CouvBAHs
RT (@RT_com) May 27, 2025

A footage released by state-backed Beijing News showed windows being ripped from their hinges by the explosion, while The Paper, another state-run outlet, reported that some residents' belongings had been blown out onto the street.

Clips also showed debris strewn across a road, a car with a smashed windscreen, and dark orange flames devouring installations in the background.

The blast occurred at the Youdao Chemical plant at around 11:57 am (0357 GMT) in Gaomi, a town in Shandong province around 450 kilometres (280 miles) southeast of the capital Beijing, according to the China News agency.

Emergency services dispatched 55 vehicles and 232 first responders to the scene, the national Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.

Youdao Chemical manufactures "low-toxicity" pesticides and employs around 300 people on a site of 47 hectares (116 acres), according to the Chinese online media The Paper.

Industrial accidents occur regularly in China, where safety standards in its countless factories are sometimes not respected.

In 2015, explosions at warehouses containing flammable chemicals in the port city of Tianjin killed over 170 people and injured 700 others.