9 killed in fire at cold storage facility in eastern China

Nine people were killed in a fire at a cold storage in China’s eastern province of Shandong, state media reported on December 8, Report informs via South China Morning Post.

Thermal insulation materials caught on fire around midday on Saturday at the cold chain storage facility under construction in the city of Rongcheng, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The nine people who died at the site were discovered on Sunday morning. An investigation is underway.

Safety hazards generally spike in the dry winter season, also a peak time for industrial production, the Ministry of Emergency Management warned in late October. It cited past accidents in sectors including road transport, fishing vessel operation, and the storage of hazardous chemicals.

Cold storage buildings are usually large with high walls and few safety exits, which create conditions for the accumulation of flammable and explosive gases, the ministry said on its social media page on Sunday.

Foam plastic is commonly used as insulation material in cold storage warehouses, but it is flammable and produces a large amount of toxic smoke when burned, it added.

According to local media, the construction of the cold storage area was listed among the major programs for Rongcheng last year, with plans to build a three-story facility with a floor area of 15,070 square meters (162,212 sq ft).