Fire Kills 119 At Chinese Poultry Plant

A fire has killed 119 at a Chinese poultry plant. Hundreds of panicked workers were trapped inside the building as only one exit door was open. Most of the exit doors on the Mishazi Township factory were either locked or inaccessible.

The blaze is being blamed on several chemical explosions. Ammonia, used in the poultry plant’s cooling system, reportedly leaked from storage containers. The leaking ammonia is thought to have caused several explosions, which led to the fatal fire.

As reported by The Sun Chronicle, there were an estimated 350 workers in the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company plant when the fire broke out. The fire killed 119 and has injured dozens. Harmful fumes from the chemicals caused respiratory issues for many of the survivors.

Witnesses explain that the fire spread rapidly, consuming the building in less than five minutes. As rescue workers continue to sift through the ruins, the death toll is expected to rise.

As reported by Christian Post Asia, the tragic deaths are being blamed on lack of safety standards in China’s industrial pants. Jason Yen of the US Grains Council explains how design flaws may have led to increased fatalities:

“I’m sure they consider some aspects of safety design … However, I think safety, to me, is not the first priority in their design plan.”

As the fire happened during a shift change, more workers were present in the building than usual. Wang Shoufeng’s wife was one of the 119 killed in the blaze. He describes the deplorable conditions in the poultry plant, where his wife worked between 14 and 15 hours per day. He states that workers rarely had time off and were expected to work in terrible conditions. Shoufeng is devastated by his wife’s death and blames the building’s owners.

Local authorities have stated that they are currently concentrating on the search and rescue effort. They continue to investigate the exact cause of the fire.

The tragic fire killed 119 workers, raising questions about China’s safety standards. The fire was likely a horrible accident. However, many of the deaths could have been prevented if the emergency exits had been available.

[Image via Wikimedia]