Fire and Smoke Erupt From Site of Latest Chemical Plant Explosion in China

An explosion shook a chemical plant in the Chinese province of Zhejiang on Monday, according to state media reports. Firefighters are on the scene, and no casualties have been reported. The country has been on edge following similar blasts that killed more than 160 people last month.

The latest blast caused a fire and thick smoke to billow from a plant in Lishui city shortly before midnight, Chinese state radio said on Weibo, a microblogging service similar to Twitter. Photos taken from the scene and posted on social media show smoke belching out of what appears to be an industrial zone.

Related: Caged Bunnies Placed at Tianjin Explosion Site to Reassure Public as New Fires Erupt

Chemical plant blasts are relatively common in China. At least five people died in an explosion at one in Shandong province last week.

On August 12, explosions at a warehouse that stored dangerous chemicals devastated an industrial park in the port city of Tianjin, killing more than 160 people. At least 720 others were injured in two giant nighttime blasts that ignited at a warehouse in the Tianjin Binhai New Development Zone. The initial eruption, which was reportedly sparked by "inflammables and explosives," set off more fires in the surrounding area.

After the blast, authorities discovered that 2,500 tons of toxic substances, including 700 tons of poison, the majority of which was sodium cyanide, had been stored at the site. Forty other chemicals were also housed in the facility.

Tianjin mayor Huang Xingguo said the city would step up controls on hazardous chemicals companies, according to media reports on Monday. Reviewing new rules on the sector at a weekend meeting, Huang said priority would be given to strict standards on the hazardous chemicals business to "better protect people's lives and property," the Caixin news magazine reported.

The latest incident in Lishui will likely raise more questions about safety standards in China, where industrial accidents are all too common following three decades of fast economic growth. A blast at an auto-parts factory killed 75 people a year ago.

Related: China Cracks Down on Websites Accused of Spreading 'Rumors' About the Tianjin Blast