At least one person was killed in a large fire at a Shanghai chemical plant that sparked smoke clouds across the city on Saturday, state media reported.
The fire at a Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co. plant in the outlying district of Jinshan broke out around 4 a.m., but was brought under control later that morning, according to Xinhua State News Agency.
“The fire at the scene has been effectively controlled and a protective burn is currently being carried out,” Xinhua said.
“According to our initial understanding, the fire has already caused a death,” Xinhua said.
The fire broke out when Shanghai, China’s industrial engine and China’s most populous city, resumed business cautiously after being shut down for about two months to counter a coronavirus outbreak caused by the Omicron variant.
Although the blockade was officially lifted in early June, the thickness of supply chains and the closure of factories continue to have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.
At the petrochemical plant, residents heard an explosion in the early hours of the morning for up to 6 km (four miles), according to local media.
Videos on social media showed a large cloud of fire and ash rising.
In an aerial video, three fires could be seen in separate buildings.
The Shanghai Fire Department told Weibo that it had sent more than 500 people immediately after the incident around 4.28am.
The Ministry of Emergency Management has sent a group of experts to the scene, CCTV reported.
Reports have not indicated any possible cause of the fire.