Thousands join rescue efforts after chemical plant blast kills 47

thousands of firefighters and medical workers and hundreds of ambulances and fire trucks have joined an all-out rescue after an explosion rocked a chemical plant Thursday in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The blast has killed 47 people and left 90 others with severe injuries, according to the rescue headquarters. A total of 640 people are receiving medical treatment in hospitals.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, demanded all-out efforts to search for trapped victims, timely treat the injured and maintain social stability. Xi also demanded environment monitoring and early warning systems be strengthened to prevent pollution as well as secondary disasters.

Premier Li Keqiang required that efforts must be made to minimize the casualties while forceful measures on hazard control must be taken to prevent secondary accidents.

The explosion happened at about 2:48 p.m. Thursday following a fire that broke out in a plant, owned by Jiangsu Tianjiayi chemical Co. Ltd., in a chemical industrial park in Xiangshui County in the city of Yancheng.

Around 930 firefighters and 192 fire engines from across the province had arrived at the site and managed to put out the fire on Friday morning.

More than 4,000 people have been evacuated to safe areas, and all companies in the industrial park have ceased operations.

Health authorities in Jiangsu have mobilized around 3,500 medical workers and 90 ambulances from 16 hospitals to treat the injured.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched a team of experts to the site, and the National Health Commission has dispatched three groups of medical experts on burns, neurosurgery, psychological intervention, intoxication and public hygiene to help with rescue and relief work.

The province's armed police headquarters said they had sent more than 650 officers to the site to search for those trapped and help with medical treatment and environmental monitoring.

Huang Xiaofeng, who was cut by debris and broken glass and suffered hearing damage from the blast, is receiving treatment at a hospital in Xiangshui County, which has received hundreds of injured patients.

"I was about 70 to 80 meters away from the explosion site. I ran away quickly when I saw the blaze, but was knocked down by the shockwave. Then I passed out," Huang said.

Zhu Yinxia's home is 1 km away from the plant. Her mother suffered face and head injuries from broken glass. "The street was a mess. Doors and windows were broken or out of shape."

More than 200 residents volunteered to donate blood at a blood collection site in Xiangshui on Thursday and Friday, having donated over 60,000 milliliters of blood so far.

The local environmental department has launched comprehensive environmental monitoring to assess air and water quality.