Jiangsu blast death toll rises to 78
Print Edition
THE death toll from an explosion in a chemical plant in east China’s Jiangsu Province rose to 78 yesterday.
Rescue workers discovered 14 more bodies after searching in 20 companies within an area of 2 square kilometers surrounding the blast site, raising the total death toll to 78, Cao Lubao, mayor of Yancheng, said at a press conference yesterday.
Among the dead, 56 people have been identified, according to Cao.
Of the 28 missing persons previously reported, 25 have been confirmed dead and another three have been found.
Cao said on Saturday that the people reported as missing could possibly be among the victims whose identifications had yet been verified.
The explosion happened at 2:48pm on Thursday after a fire broke out in a plant owned by Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Co in a chemical industrial park in Xiangshui County in Yancheng.
Meanwhile, all 10 schools which were temporarily closed after the blast have been repaired and reopened yesterday.
Doors and windows in the 10 primary and middle schools were shattered by the powerful explosion, with more than 100 students suffering minor injuries caused by broken glass, local education authorities said.
Students were rushed to safety, and the injured were treated at nearby hospitals, said Gong Yansen, deputy head of the county’s education bureau.
Gong said all the school buildings have been vetted by the housing and construction department, which said there were no structural damages.
After the blast, more than 400 workers were organized by the bureau to dismantle dangerous buildings, repair doors and windows, and maintain supporting facilities, which cost more than 4 million yuan (US$596,000).
The schools were repaired and cleaned over the weekend.
Environmental monitoring workers at the site said air quality in the area was safe thanks to high winds.
Counseling and safety education were also arranged for students yesterday.
Authorities have also made a preliminary plan for treating contaminated water at the blast site.
A work team sent by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment is guiding environmental response measures, with more than 30 experts in environmental monitoring and treatment of water, solid waste and soil supporting the efforts.
The work team has demanded local authorities to arrange emergency pools, storage tanks and tank trucks for the storage of polluted water, and put water treating facilities in operation as soon as possible.
All three waterways linking a local river to the industrial park have been dammed up to prevent polluted water from entering the river, according to the ministry.
The Armed Police Force has dispatched a new emergency response team comprising 400 people to assist with rescue efforts. They are specialized in chemical defense, engineering and transport. Before this team, there have been some 1,000 officers and soldiers of the Armed Police Force working at the site.
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