Video: Huge Explosion at China Chemical Plant Sends Mushroom Cloud Over Town

Videos show thick grey smoke and debris after blast at Youdao Chemical in Gaomi, Shandong province.

May 28, 2025: A massive explosion rocked a chemical plant in eastern China’s Shandong province on Tuesday, sending a towering mushroom cloud of grey smoke into the sky and blowing out shop windows in nearby areas.

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The blast occurred at around 11:57 am local time at the Youdao Chemical plant in Gaomi, roughly 450 kilometers southeast of Beijing, according to state media.

Videos posted by the Beijing-based newspaper Xinjingbao captured dramatic scenes of dark orange flames consuming parts of the facility and thick plumes of smoke rising above the industrial zone. Shop windows appeared shattered by the force of the explosion, and debris littered nearby roads.

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Footage also showed a car with a smashed windscreen and the intense blaze engulfing parts of the chemical plant.

Massive Emergency Response
Emergency services dispatched 55 vehicles and 232 first responders to tackle the fire and secure the area, the Ministry of Emergency Management said in a statement.

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The Youdao Chemical plant, spread across 47 hectares, employs around 300 people and produces “low-toxicity” pesticides, according to Chinese media outlet The Paper.

Ongoing Concerns About Industrial Safety
China has a troubling history of industrial accidents due to lax safety standards in its factories. In 2015, a series of explosions at chemical warehouses in the port city of Tianjin killed more than 170 people and injured 700.

Authorities have not yet reported any casualties from Tuesday’s blast.

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China chemical plant explosion, Shandong province, Youdao Chemical, industrial accidents China, mushroom cloud blast, Gaomi, emergency response, Chinese industrial safety