A major explosion occurred on the afternoon of the 18th at a Baogang Rare Earth Steel Plate Plant in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, China. As of the morning of the 19th, there have been 2 confirmed deaths, 8 individuals missing, and 84 people hospitalized for treatment.
The force of the blast was tremendous, accompanied by a loud noise and intense vibrations. Glass doors and windows in many nearby residents’ homes were shattered.
On the 19th, a press conference regarding the steel plate plant explosion was held in Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Lin Li, Standing Committee Member of the Baotou Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor, stated that at 3:03 pm on the 18th, a 650-cubic-meter saturated water and steam sphere tank at the steelmaking operations division of the steel plate plant exploded. Of the 84 injured, 5 are in serious condition while the rest sustained minor injuries such as facial and limb soft tissue traumas. At present, all the injured are in stable condition. Rescue personnel are still searching for the missing individuals.
Baotou City has launched a comprehensive safety inspection within a 5-kilometer radius of the plant and surrounding areas. Production at the site of the incident has been suspended; the city’s electricity, water, gas, communications, and residential heating are all functioning normally.
The Autonomous Region has set up an accident investigation team to thoroughly investigate the cause and responsibility of the incident.