A septic tank was at the center of an explosion that ripped through the Chinese megaport of Ningbo at the weekend, killing at least two people and injuring
NINGBO, CHINA – A septic tank was at the center of an explosion that ripped through the Chinese megaport of Ningbo at the weekend, killing at least two people and injuring 20 more, authorities have said.
The blast, which erupted in a vacant lot, was so powerful that it was heard several kilometers (miles) away, toppling nearby disused buildings, shattering windows in residential towers and mangling cars.
“We were having tea and bwaaaah! It knocked my mother off her stool. It was incredibly loud,” said a local woman who gave only her surname, Wu.
The local government said on one of its social media accounts late Sunday that two people were missing following the explosion. Four people were severely injured and 15 others had minor wounds.
Public security officials “have confirmed that the blast’s epicenter is a septic tank in an empty field,” the statement said.
Methane and hydrogen sulfide — both highly flammable substances — can build up in septic tanks.
Authorities have thrown up a cordon around the collapsed buildings and are still investigating the cause of the explosion in Ningbo, a city just south of Shanghai and one of China’s largest ports.
