Deadly blast kills 1 at fireworks plant in northwest China: Report
Explosions at a fireworks plant in China's northwestern province of Gansu killed one person and injured six, state media said on Tuesday, the second such event in a day in a country still on edge after blasts killed at least 145 people last month.
Two explosions hit the factory, where production was suspended after safety hazards were found during a May inspection, in the city of Longnan soon after 3p.m., the official Xinhua news agency said.
Witnesses said the blast also damaged houses close to the plant, Xinhua said. In China, residential areas are frequently in close proximity to industrial sites.
On Aug. 12, explosions at a warehouse storing dangerous chemicals devastated an industrial park in the northern port city of Tianjin, killing at least 145 people. There, nearby residential areas were also damaged.
State media on Tuesday said another blast shook a chemical plant in the eastern province of Shandong, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.
A single "loud" explosion occurred at the chemical plant in Dongying shortly before midnight, state radio said on its official Weibo microblog, showing pictures of the blast in what appeared to be a remote industrial area.
Read MoreDongying factory blast kills one, six execs arrested
No other details were available and Reuters was not immediately able to reach officials for comment.
One person died last month when an explosion hit a chemical plant in a different part of Shandong.
The latest incidents are likely to raise more questions about safety standards in China, where industrial accidents are all too common following three decades of swift economic growth. A blast at an auto parts factory killed 75 people a year ago.