An explosion rocked a chemical factory in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, on August 19, 2010. A 3000 cubic meter chemical tank exploded, inflaming the surrounding area.
A witness to the chemical explosion said, “It was like an atomic bomb. The smell near the site was nauseous.”
The fire started at 11 a.m. and was not put out until 4pm. There are no casualties, but the estimated loss is over 90 million yuan. (about 13 million US dollars).
Many are concerned about the environmental impact of the explosion, and it’s impact on human health. The environmental protection office has taken measures to prevent the chemicals from flowing into the river. They are also monitoring the wind to measure pollutants in the air.
The preliminary findings of the government joint investigation team state that the cause of the explosion is that static electricity built up during the process of pumping ethyl acrylate into the tank, causing the mixture of gases in the tank to explode.
The company where the explosion occurred, Zhejiang Satellite Acrylic Acid Manufactory Co., Ltd, is one of the eleven biggest chemical manufacturers in China, one of the few profitable manufacturers last year.
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