REUTERS – An explosion at a chemical plant in China has killed 19 people and injured 12, state media said on Friday (July 13), the latest deadly industrial incident in the world’s largest producer of chemicals.

It is not yet clear what caused Thursday (July 12) evening’s blast at Yibin Hengda Technology in an industrial park several hours southeast of Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan, authorities in Jiang’an county said.

The injured are in stable condition and an investigation has begun, state television channel CCTV said, adding that the fire was put out by 11:30 p.m.