China chemical plant explosion kills at least five people with eight missing

At least five people have died and another eight are missing after a massive explosion at a chemical plant in north-eastern China, according to state TV in the country. The blast occurred at 3.13pm local time (7.13am GMT) on Sunday, just outside the city of Panjin in Liaoning province, east of Beijing. A further 30 people were injured, according to the initial state TV report. The explosion reportedly happened at a plant run by Haoye Chemical Co Ltd while workers were carrying out maintenance work. Authorities said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation. According to Chinese-based trade sources,…