The blast occurred early Tuesday morning in Yizhou city, in Guangxi province. More than 12,000 people were reported to have been evacuated from the surrounding area over fears of more explosions and possible chemical leaks.
A firefighter at the scene was cited by Xinhua as saying "With explosions continuing and a fire raging, it is quite treacherous for rescuers, since there are huge hidden dangers amid the blasts, along with leaks of toxic gases such as ammonia and formaldehyde."
The agency earlier reported that five people had died and that several blasts were heard at the plant, which mainly produces chemicals for adhesives and paints.
Explosions and other industrial accidents are frequent in China, resulting in thousands of deaths each year. Accidents are blamed on poor safety equipment and disregard for safety rules.
