Services along the Beijing-Shanghai high speed railway line were disrupted during the morning of Nov. 29 after a nearby chemical plant explosion damaged the railway’s power supply, according to an article from the South China Morning Post. The explosion reportedly occurred at a formaldehyde factory in a village west of Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province. No casualties were reported and a fire at the facility was extinguished in half an hour.
According to the article, the blast again prompts scrutiny of the country’s questionable urban planning, which sees hazardous industrial facilities located close to homes or civilian infrastructure. Between January and August, according to Greenpeace East Asia numbers cited, China reported 232 chemical-related incidents resulting in 199 deaths and 400 injuries. The cause of Tuesday’s explosion is under investigation.
Read more details about the explosion here.
