THE death toll from an explosion in a chemical plant in East China’s Jiangsu Province had risen to 78 as of yesterday afternoon, authorities said. Rescue workers discovered 14 more bodies after searching in 20 companies within an area of 2 square kilometers surrounding the blast site, raising the total death toll to 78, Cao Lubao, mayor of Yancheng, said at a press conference yesterday afternoon. Among the dead, 56 people have been identified, according to Cao. Of the 28 missing persons previously reported, 25 have been confirmed dead and another three have been found. Cao said Saturday that the people reported as missing could possibly be among the victims whose identifications had yet to be verified. The explosion happened at about 2:48 p.m. Thursday following a fire that broke out in a plant owned by Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Co. Ltd., in a chemical industrial park in Xiangshui County in Yancheng. The authorities have also made a preliminary plan for treating contaminated water at the site of the deadly blast. A work team sent by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment is guiding environmental response measures at the explosion site, with over 30 experts in environmental monitoring and treatment of water, solid waste and soil supporting the efforts, according to a statement from the ministry. The work team has demanded local authorities to arrange emergency pools, storage tanks and tank trucks for the storage of polluted water, and put water treating facilities in operation as soon as possible. All three waterways linking a local river to the industrial park where the plant is located have been dammed up to prevent polluted water from entering the river, according to the ministry. (Xinhua) |