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Chinese chemical plant survivors relive horror of ‘earth-shattering’ blast
- Witnesses say they saw fireballs shot into the air and tell of widespread destruction after the explosion in Yancheng city
- One man said he saw a child being thrown into the air, while witnesses describe how shards of glass ‘fell like rain’
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Survivors of the devastating chemical plant blast in eastern China told on Friday how they had seen giant fireballs exploding and children being shot into the air by the force of the blast.
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As rescuers continued to search for survivors following Thursday’s explosion in Jiangsu province, those caught up in the “earth-shattering” blast recounted the scenes of destruction that they had witnessed in its aftermath and said that people living 10km away from the blast site had been left choking on toxic clouds.
The explosion nearly flattened an industrial estate next to the plant in Yancheng city and caused extensive damage to other nearby buildings, including offices and factories.
Wang Xinfang said shards of glass from the windows had been “falling like rain” in a village 6km away from the plant. She had been out shopping at the time of the explosion and had immediately run out of the store to escape the falling debris and flying glass.
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