15 April 2019

Police have detained another 17 people in connection with a deadly pesticide plant blast that killed 78 people in eastern China... authorities said… The March 21 explosion at a plant owned by the Tianjiayi Chemical Co prompted China’s safety watchdog to launch a nationwide inspection of hazardous chemicals, mines, transportation and fire safety practices. Authorities have shut the industrial park where the blast occurred in the eastern coastal city of Yancheng, and dozens of other sites face closure to allay public safety concerns, state media reported...

The latest arrests brings to 26 the number of people detained in connection with the disaster. The 17 suspects are accused of making “false evaluations” of the company’s operations, the Yancheng government said on its official Weibo account. They include company employees and those working for “intermediary organizations,” it said without elaborating…