Eight killed in east China chemical plant explosion, fire

Beijing: Eight people have been killed and five injured in an explosion and fire at a chemical plant in eastern China's Shandong province.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the accident was triggered by an explosion of a liquefied gas tanker in a loading area at the Linyi Jinyu Petrochemical Co plant at about 1 AM on Monday.

The blast set ablaze several fuel storage tanks at the site in the Lingang Economic Zone in the city of Linyi. Nearby areas were evacuated.

The plant's owner was later detained by police and the injured were taken to a local hospital.

The Lingang Economic Zone said in a statement posted to the internet that the fire was extinguished this afternoon after more than 900 firefighters responded.