Summary
On March 21, 2019, an explosion at the Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical plant in Xiangshui county, Yancheng, killed 78 people and injured 617. China’s State Council investigation, published in November 2019, found that the blast resulted from the spontaneous ignition of nitrification waste that the company had illegally stored for a long time. The company had been penalised repeatedly for safety and pollution violations, and the inquiry also criticised failures by government departments in Jiangsu. In 2020 courts sentenced 53 people, including company managers and officials. The earlier version of this post repeated an unverified survivor account about a methane truck, which the official finding does not support. This post also links the case to major accident hazard rules in other countries.
On March 21, 2019, at about 14:48 local time, a massive explosion occurred at the Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical plant in the Chenjiagang chemical park in Xiangshui county, Yancheng, Jiangsu province. It became one of the deadliest chemical accidents in China in years and raised hard questions about regulation, community safety and accountability.
What are the key facts?
- The explosion killed 78 people and injured 617, according to official reports.
- The State Council investigation concluded that nitrification waste, which the company had illegally stored for a long time, heated up and ignited spontaneously, causing the blast.
- It took about 12 hours to bring the fire under control, and hundreds of firefighters were deployed.
- China’s earthquake authorities recorded a magnitude 2.2 seismic event from the blast.
- Windows were shattered within about 5 km, and residential areas and schools lay near the site. Thousands of residents were evacuated.
- Foreign journalists reported restricted access to the site and hospitals.
- Tianjiayi had been penalised repeatedly for pollution and safety violations, including fines totalling about CNY 1.7 million over three years, yet it was allowed to keep operating.
- Jiangsu authorities reported that monitored levels of benzene, toluene, xylene, chloroform and acetone outside the site stayed within limits, although rivers near the plant were later reported to be polluted.
Fire at the Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Plant explosion site (Reuters) 
Firefighters working to control the blaze (AFP / Getty Images) 
Aerial view of the plant after the explosion (ImagineChina / AP) 
Shattered windows in nearby buildings from the blast (Gerry Shih / The Washington Post) 
A damaged residential building near the explosion site (Gerry Shih / The Washington Post)
What happened after the investigation?
The State Council announced in November 2019 that the blast was a particularly serious work safety accident caused by illegal storage of hazardous waste. It found that the company had ignored environmental and safety laws, and it criticised failures in emergency management, environmental protection, industrial, market supervision and planning departments in Jiangsu. The licence of the company was revoked, a nationwide inspection of dangerous chemicals production and management followed, and in 2020 courts in Yancheng sentenced 53 people, including company executives, safety managers and officials who had issued false documents or accepted bribes. Senior provincial officials were also held responsible.
Was this an isolated event?
No. In 2015, a series of explosions at a chemical warehouse in Tianjin killed 173 people, according to official figures (165 dead and 8 missing). Chemical park accidents have recurred in China, and the Jiangsu case showed what happens when hazardous waste handling, inspection and local oversight fail together. See our posts on chemical safety management and compliance frameworks. The ILO Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents Convention (C174) and UNEP guidance both stress regulation, inspection and community right-to-know.
Which major accident hazard rules apply in the EU, Germany, the UK, the US and Canada?
- EU and Germany: the Seveso III Directive 2012/18/EU requires operators of sites with dangerous substances above thresholds to prevent major accidents and to prepare emergency plans, and Germany implements it through the Störfall-Verordnung (12th BImSchV).
- UK: the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Regulations 2015.
- US: OSHA’s Process Safety Management standard (29 CFR 1910.119) and the EPA Risk Management Program under the Clean Air Act.
- Canada: the Canadian Environmental Protection Act’s environmental emergency regulations and provincial occupational health and safety and emergency laws.
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Jiangsu chemical plant explosion?
According to the State Council investigation, the spontaneous ignition of nitrification waste that the company had illegally stored for a long period.
How many people died?
78 people died and 617 were injured, according to official figures.
Was anyone punished?
Yes. In 2020 a court sentenced 53 people, including executives and officials, and the company’s licence was revoked.
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This is very very sad. Thank you for informing us