Chemical blast kills dozens in China

An explosion at a plant producing chemical intermediates killed at least 78 people and sent hundreds to the hospital in the city of Yancheng in China’s coastal Jiangsu province. The tragedy occurred on March 21, less than four months after a blast outside a chemical plant owned by state-run ChemChina in the northern Chinese province of Hebei killed 23 people. The latest accident took place 250 km northwest of Shanghai at Jiangsu Tianjiaji Chemical, a company that, according to statements from the government of Yancheng, mostly produced m-hydroxybenzoic acid and anisole. In business since 2007, the firm has 195 employees, according to official statements. The response to the explosion was a massive effort involving 192 fire engines drawn from 12 different jurisdictions. Yancheng city officials say they conducted environmental tests after the blast to check for water and air contamination. The explosion marks another setback in China’s effort to improve