At least one person has been killed in a serious fire at a chemical plant in Shanghai.
The fire at the Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical factory broke out around 4 a.m. on Saturday morning, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.
The fire was brought under control by mid-morning.
According to local media reports, the fire in the chemical plant triggered an explosion that could be heard six kilometers away.
Users published videos on the online networks showing large clouds of smoke.
One of the videos showed fires in three different buildings.
According to the Shanghai fire brigade, more than 500 people were deployed to bring the fire under control.
The cause of fire was unclear for the moment.
According to the state broadcaster CCTV, the Ministry of Disaster Prevention sent a team of experts to the chemical plant.
After two and a half months of corona lockdown, many factories in Shanghai only started operating again at the beginning of June.
The Chinese economic metropolis was hit by an omicron wave in the spring.
The authorities then sealed off the city rigorously in early April.