Explosion at a Drug Factory in Henan: 3 Missing and 4 Injured as Plant Blown Up

On March 20, a sudden explosion occurred at the factory of Hongqi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in Xiangcheng, Henan province. The explosion resulted in the destruction of almost the entire factory building, with glass windows of buildings several kilometers away shattered. At present, 3 people are missing and 4 others are injured.

In the morning of March 20, a netizen posted a video claiming that an explosion had taken place in an industrial zone in Xiangcheng, Henan, suspected to have caused casualties.

Surveillance footage from a netizen’s home showed that at 11:09 on March 20, a loud noise was heard from the industrial zone nearby. Another video displayed a factory in the industrial park almost completely destroyed, with thick smoke billowing and accompanied by flames. Local residents mentioned that despite being several kilometers away from the explosion site in the industrial park, the glass in their homes was still shattered. Some netizens indicated that the explosion occurred at a biotechnology company, potentially resulting in multiple casualties.

The Emergency Management Bureau of Xiangcheng City in Henan reported that at 11:09 am on March 20, an explosion occurred at the factory of Hongqi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in Xiangcheng, Zhoukou City.

As of now, the accident has led to 3 people missing and 4 injured. The injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment, their vital signs are stable, the on-site flames have been extinguished, and search and rescue operations are still ongoing with no secondary disasters reported. The cause of the accident is under investigation, and relevant experts have been dispatched to the scene for technical inspections. The Xiangcheng City government has formed a special working group.

According to a report by Jiemian News, a neighboring clothing factory was also affected by the explosion. Even residents further away could hear the blast.

Additionally, according to a video posted by the “Concerned Citizens” Weibo account, residents mentioned that all glass was shattered, sustaining injuries from glass shards on their legs and hands. Some citizens described a strong pesticide smell in the air after the explosion, which was very pungent. An employee from a nearby company stated that the explosion impacted most surrounding factories, and they are unsure about the situation of that company, having to wait for investigations.

Information from Tianyancha shows that Hongqi Biotechnology Co., Ltd. in Zhoukou was established in 2014 with a registered capital of 100 million RMB. The legal representative is Lu Kan, and the company has 30 employees. Its business scope includes the research and development of chemical intermediates, biotechnology, and organic silicon products.