At least 44 people have been killed in a chemical plant explosion in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu, the local government said on Friday.

Public anger has grown in China following several deadly industrial accidents ranging from chemical plant blasts to mining disasters over the past decade.

Devastating incident:

More than 600 people were injured, including 32 in critical condition

The explosion triggered a 2.2 magnitude earthquake

Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.

Firefighters have brought the blaze under control.

Read more: Opinion: Xi Jinping is taking China down a dangerous path

It took hours for emergency crews to bring the blaze under control

'Government must take urgent action'

Wary of growing anger over industrial accidents, Beijing has vowed for years to improve industrial safety standards and increase oversight. But environmentalists say little has changed and workers are still at risk.

"Tragic accidents occur on an almost daily basis," said Greenpeace researcher Cheng Qian in a report. "The government must take urgent action to manage chemicals in a sound manner, provide a safety net for workers and citizens, and protect ecologically important areas across the country."

History of accidents

China has been rocked by deadly industrial accidents in recent years. In 2015, a massive explosion at a site in Tianjin killed more than 170 people. Authorities traced the explosion to improperly stored hazardous chemicals.

Last November, 52 people fell ill due to a major chemical spill in Fujian province, while 23 were killed in a chemical plant explosion in Zhangjiakou.

Read more: As China takes 'center stage,' Europe stands at a crossroads

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Tianjin warehouse blasts Late on August 12, 2015, two explosions occurred at warehouses containing toxic chemicals and gas in the Chinese port city of Tianjin. According to state media, one of the blasts was equivalent to detonating 21 tons of TNT. The explosions killed 44 people and left more than 500 injured. Officials said just a week ago they had discussed tightening safety standards with companies at the port.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Lac Megantic train explosion On July 6, 2013, a train of 73 tank cars of light crude oil derailed in the Canadian town of Lac Megantic. Left unattended at night, a small fire started, the brakes failed and the train rolled down a slight incline. The fire ignited the oil. There were two large blasts and several smaller explosions. Forty-seven people died in the disaster, and a good part of the downtown area was destroyed.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Volatile fertilizer in Texas A blast following a fire at the West Fertilizer Company plant in the town of West, Texas killed 15 people and hurt more than 200 on April 17, 2013. The explosion flattened houses, left a huge crater and was so powerful that the United States Geological Survey registered it as a 2.1-magnitude earthquake.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Russian military range up in smoke Four thousand tons of military ammunition exploded at a depot at the Donguz test site in Central Russia on October 8–9, 2012. Thousands of people from two local towns were evacuated, and the shockwaves were felt as far away as Orenburg, 40 km from the scene. There were no casualties.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Fireballs in Japan The 8.9 magnitude Tohoku earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011, badly damaged chemical and oil complexes on the Pacific Ocean. Red hot fireballs resulted from boiling liquid vapor explosions at the Cosmo Oil refinery in Chiba. Storage tanks were heavily damaged or burnt.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Cyprus munitions dump An explosion presumably caused by a fire ripped through the Evangelos Florakis naval base munition dump in southern Cyprus on July 11, 2011. Dozens of people were injured, and at least 12 were killed. The explosion destroyed the base, knocked out the island's largest power plant and caused extensive damage to a neighboring community and a nearby popular holiday resort.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Maputo armory explosion The Mozambican capital of Maputo was rocked for hours by a series of explosions on March 22, 2007. People fled in terror from the blasts at the country's largest ammunitions depot – an incident that was eventually blamed on high temperatures. Officials confirmed 96 dead and several hundred injured.

Disastrous non-nuclear explosions Enschede fireworks disaster A massive explosion occurred at a fireworks factory on May 13, 2000, in the Dutch city of Enschede. Twenty-three people died in Europe's worst fireworks disaster, and 947 were injured. Hundreds of homes were leveled and more than 1,000 other buildings damaged, and the Roombeek neighborhood was completely ravaged. Author: Dagmar Breitenbach



ls/rc (Reuters, AFP)