1 dead, 11 injured in chemical plant blast in SE Japan

APD NEWS

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One person has died and 11 others were injured, three seriously, after an explosion at a chemical plant in the Fuji city, Shizuoka prefecture in southeastern Japan on Friday morning, Asahi Shimbun reported.

It is reported that the fire department received the report that "there was an explosion at the factory" at around 08:30 a.m. local time.

While Japan's public broadcaster NHK quoted fire department sources as saying, 14 people were injured, of them three were in serious condition, in the explosion.

Plumes of black smoke could still be seen billowing into the sky from the area.

Fuji city has issued an evacuation order to neighboring areas and called on residents to evacuate at around 09:30 a.m. local time as black smoke is intensely rising from the factory, which may contain harmful substances.

Firefighters are still at the scene to put out the fire.

The chemical plant belongs to Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd., a company that manufactures and sells chemicals for paper manufacturing, resins for printing inks and adhesives among others.

(ASAHI&CGTN)