Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A coal fired power plant exploded yesterday in the city of Dangyang (Hubei) leaving at least 21 dead and injuring five people. According to Xinhua, the explosion occurred yesterday afternoon due to the failure of a supply of steam under pressure. Rescue operations have been underway since last night. Among the injured in hospital, three are in serious condition.
The incident comes nearly a year after the powerful explosion of a warehouse of toxic chemicals in Tianjin that killed hundreds of people, given that the warehouse was close to a residential area.
Industrial accidents are very common in China. This is due to the fact that for the majority of cases the safety rules are not applied, or only superficially implemented. They are often circumvented through bribery, or collusion between entrepreneurs and authorities, which tend to cover up all responsability. According to China Labour Bulletin to date in 2016 there have been at least 274 incidents.
