ONE person was killed after a fire broke out at a petrochemical enterprise in Shanghai early Saturday, the company said.

The fire occurred at 4:28 a.m. at the ethylene glycol plant of the chemical department of Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co., Ltd., located in the city’s Jinshan District.

A driver of a transport vehicle was found killed and an employee of the company was slightly injured.

The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment said yesterday the latest monitoring data showed that the air quality has almost returned to normal, and no water pollution has been found in the surrounding rivers.

A total of 563 firefighters and rescuers and 113 fire engines rushed to the site, and the fire is under control.

A nearby shop owner, surnamed Sun, told Xinhua that after hearing the explosion in the early morning, he drove his family away because they were worried about the potential fallout and pollution. But the family of six returned home hours after as the situation became stable.

The Shanghai Emergency Management Bureau has set up an investigation team to probe the cause of the fire.

With the efforts of relevant departments of the Shanghai Municipality and Jinshan District, as of 4:30 p.m. yesterday, the protective combustion measures at the ethylene glycol plant had been completed, the bureau said. (Xinhua)