Beijing: Fourteen workers were killed and
five injured on Saturday in an explosion at a chemical plant in east
China, state media reported, citing local authorities.
A brief report said the blast occurred
in Shandong province but gave no other details.
China has a notoriously poor workplace safety record
blamed on widespread disregard for basic safety measures as
companies chase profits.
In September, three people were killed in an explosion at
a privately-owned chemical plant in east China's Jiangxi
province.
Among other recent deadly industrial accidents, last week
at least 34 miners were killed in a blast at coal mine in the
southwestern province of Yunnan.
In October, 12 workers building an underground parking
lot in northeast China were killed when a concrete ceiling
collapsed on them. Days earlier another dozen workers died at
a steel plant in the eastern city of Nanjing when molten iron
spilled from a furnace.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 19, 2011, 23:21