China: An accidental explosion at a quarry supplying a cement plant in southern China has killed ten people and left 18 with confirmed injuries.
Workers were in the process of unloading 13t of explosives from three trucks at a quarry of the Longshan Cement Company in Yingde city in Guangdong Province when some of the explosives ignited on 27 August 2012. Of the 18 injured, nine are workers from the cement company and the others are residents in the nearby town of Yinghong, which is separated from the quarry by a river.
At least nine people living in a nearby town were also injured in the blast when windows shattered. Among the dead were quarry workers and others who transported and unloaded the explosives.
An investigation team has been set up and sent to the site of the accident to search for evidence and handle the remains of the explosives. A probe into the cause of the blast is underway.
Longshan Cement Company, a subsidiary of Anhui Conch Cement, employs 950 people, including 240 who work at the quarry.