Three die in China chemical plant blast

A blast at a chemical plant in China’s northwestern Xinjiang autonomous region has killed three people and severely injured six, the official Tianshan news website reported on Wednesday.

The explosion occurred when Xinjiang Xinzhi Energy Chemicals Co tested a rotary lime kiln on Tuesday afternoon, the report said.

The deadly accident comes about one month after a gas leak at a plant owned by a ChemChina subsidiary caused a blast that killed 23 people in the eastern Hebei province, Reuters reported.

Public anger in China over safety standards has grown in recent years after three decades of swift economic growth that have been marred by accidents ranging from mining disasters to factory fires.

China has vowed to improve industrial standards, but environmentalists say they fear oversight weaknesses persist, including an opaque production process for hazardous chemicals.