Death toll in China factory blast rises to 22

Beijing, July 29: The death toll from an explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China has risen to 22 but more than 7,000 people evacuated after the blast have now gone home, Xinhua news agency said today.

The blast, which occurred yesterday morning when a chemical reactor exploded during a test run, injured 28 others, including the chairman and general manager of the company, the report said.

''Preliminary investigation showed improper operation by workers was mainly to blame for the accident,'' Xinhua said of the incident, which happened in Sheyang in Jiangsu province.

In November, a petrochemical plant blast in the northeastern province of Jilin killed at least five workers and sent 100 tonnes of toxic benzene compounds into the Songhua River, cutting water supplies to a city of 3 million for days.

The Sheyang blast had caused toxic chlorine gas to be released into the air, but it has already dispersed with little effect on the environment, Xinhua said.

Reuters