AT LEAST 16 PEOPLE HAVE DIED AND ANOTHER 24 WERE INJURED FOLLOWING THE EXPLOSION AT A CHEMICAL PLANT IN EASTERN CHINA'S ANHUI PROVINCE, STATE MEDIA SAID SUNDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. THREE OF THE INJURED WERE SAID TO BE IN A SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER FRIDAY'S BLAST, XINHUA NEWS AGENCY REPORTED. THE BLAST RIPPED THROUGH A WORKSHOP AT THE DUN'AN CHEMICAL GROUP IN ANHUI'S DANGTU COUNTY ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, RAZING THE TWO- STOREY WORKSHOP TO THE GROUND. THE PLANT PRODUCES EXPLOSIVES FOR MINING AND OTHER CIVILIAN USES AND THE BLAST IS BELIEVED TO HAVE HAPPENED DURING THE EMULSIFICATION PROCESS OF POWDER. FEAR THAT THE COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS WOULD TRIGGER MORE EXPLOSIONS HAD HAMPERED RESCUE WORK OVER THE WEEKEND, XINHUA SAID. DURING THE RESCUE OPERATION, WORKERS SHOWERED WATER OVER THE DEBRIS TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE LOW AND PREVENT MORE EXPLOSIONS, THE AGENCY SAID. THE EXPLOSION WAS THE THIRD MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT TO HIT CHINA IN A WEEK
