A screenshot of a video showing the aftermath of the Tianjin's warehouse explosion site on August 13, 2015 in Tianjin, China.(Photo : Getty Images)
An explosion at a residential complex in the northwestern Chinese town of Xinmin killed at least 14 people and injured 147 on Monday, Reuters reported citing state-backed Xinhua News agency.
The powerful blast occurred early in the afternoon at about 2 p,m. in a prefabricated house that has been built inside a bigger residential compound, CNN reported. The accident caused damage to several buildings including its local hospital.
Rescue personnel searched through the rubble overnight in the hope of finding more survivors and to determine the cause of the explosion.
An initial investigation said that the blast was caused by illegally stored explosives. Authorities have reportedly detained the building's owners and are searching for the tenants, Reuters reported.
Of the injured victims, 11 were allegedly sent to an intensive care unit.
According to local media, there are several mining companies in Fugu County, where Xinmin is located.
Earlier this month, at least two people were also killed and 15 others injured after an explosion occurred at a commercial district in Yunnan province.
China has a bad safety hazards record. A report by Greenpeace revealed that nearly 200 people were killed in China because of chemical-related accidents between January and August this year. Of the 232 accidents caused by chemical production, storage, and transportation, 199 deaths and 400 injuries were recorded.
The report further reveal that China's more than 33,500 registered chemical facilities are lie in densely populated areas and about a fifth near essential natural resources like rivers and lakes.
However, China's chemical industry remained lax even after the deadly explosion in Tianjin in 2015 that killed 165 people, injured at least 800, and caused an estimated $1.1 billion damage.
10月24日14时许，府谷县新民镇打井塔村5间彩钢房内发生不明物爆炸事故。事故造成核心区58间房屋受损严重，部分坍塌，波及周边约0.8平方公里的建筑物不同程度裂缝、门窗玻璃破碎，周边停放的63辆汽车不同程度受损。
经公安机关初步调查，发生事故的彩钢房为打井塔一张姓村民所有，9月23日租赁给他人使用，事故初判为疑似炸药爆炸。公安机关已控制房主，正在搜查租房者，展开事故初步调查。
据悉，最后1名被困人员于25日2时30分找到，事故现场搜救工作基本告一段落，后续系统排查仍在进行。
目前，受损房屋所涉人员已全部撤离，通过住宿宾馆、厂矿，投亲靠友等方式得到妥善安置，所有受伤人员均被送往医院接受救治。现场周围设立了警戒线，实施人员管控，维护现场秩序，正在积极做好死伤者家属安抚工作。公安机关已将相关人员控制，正在进行深入调查。(记者毛海峰、张骏贺)
