Explosions hit a chemical plant Tuesday in Southwest China, killing at least four people, injuring 44 and prompting the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The first explosion occurred at around 6 a.m. in Yizhou city in Guangxi province, Xinhua said, adding that 17 people were missing following the accident. The explosions continued until 1 p.m., spreading fire over a nearly 108,000-square-foot (10,000-square-meter) area, Xinhua said, citing an unidentified firefighter in the rescue operation. The government started evacuating more than 10,000 residents in case of further blasts and chemical leaks, Xinhua said.
