At least 22 people have been killed and another 22 injured following a powerful explosion which, according to local authorities, also damaged around 50 vehicles near a chemical plant in the Chinese city of Zhangjiakou.

The explosion in the vicinity of Hebei Shenghua Chemical Co., Ltd. in Zhangjiakou happened in the early hours of Wednesday, prompting local authorities to launch a massive firefighting and rescue operation.

A video, said to be from the scene, shows a caravan of cars parked on the street burning, with flames also visible from within the chemical plant. At least 38 large trucks and 12 small cars were incinerated in the accident.

#UPDATE A total of 50 cars involved in the accident; the fire has been contained, search operation underway, according to initial investigation. pic.twitter.com/5RZzrnHruZ — CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) November 28, 2018

Local authorities are advising the public to stay away from the site as search and rescue efforts continue. So far, 22 people were officially confirmed to have perished in the blast, with another 22 injured having been rushed to local hospitals. The cause of the incident is not yet known.

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