A massive explosion occurred last weekend at the paraffin stockyard of a chemical company in Yanggu District, Liaocheng City, Shandong Province, China. A huge fireball shot up into the sky, and thick black smoke shrouded the entire factory area, causing power outages within several miles of the site. The company involved is a well-known listed enterprise in the area. According to the official report, three people were injured in the accident.
The Yanggu County Emergency Management Bureau in Liaocheng, Shandong, reported that at 5:38 p.m. last Saturday (June 13), a fire broke out at the paraffin stockyard of Yanggu Huatai Chemical Company, resulting in three people being injured. They are currently receiving full medical treatment but are not in life-threatening condition. Rescue efforts and an investigation into the cause of the accident are ongoing.
Paraffin wax is a highly flammable chemical raw material. Videos circulating online show a huge mushroom cloud rising at the scene of the explosion, with flames shooting skyward in an instant, intense burning, and the sound of violent secondary explosions.
The Beijing News quoted a nearby shop owner as saying that they heard the explosions when the incident occurred. Shops nearby have since closed, and the surrounding area experienced a temporary power outage.
Local residents reported that the air was filled with a lingering chemical odor, so people in residential areas have shut their windows and drawn their curtains.
It is reported that Yanggu Huatai was founded in 1994 and is a leading company in China’s rubber additives industry. Its products are exported to more than 40 countries worldwide and serve global tire giants.