No casualties have been reported following an explosion at a chemical factory in Zhejiang province on Monday. Local sources say a large fire followed the explosion. Chinese state media posted images on social media of thick plumes of smoke rising several meters into the air.

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Firefighters were present to contain the fire.

The source of the explosion at the plant in Lishui city is currently unclear. It is also unclear what sort of chemicals were being stored in the plant and which company it belonged to. There are speculations that the factory is owned by Ming Chemical Company Ltd. According to IBTimes, there were up to 200 people in the plant when the fire occurred.

The Zhejiang incident is another in a series of chemical explosion after two massive blasts at the Tianjin port in August. About 161 people lost their lives as a result of that explosion.

Recently, authorities in Shandong have come under the public spotlight for failing to fully disclose the number of casualties after an explosion at the Shandon Binyuan Chemical Company on Aug. 31. Initially, one death was reported. However, the number of casualties was revised to five a few days later. Then, it was increased to 13.

Critics have accused authorities in Shandong of failing to present the actual number of casualties to avoid spreading pall over China's 70th anniversary V-Day parade.

If officials in Zhejiang announce any casualties at a latter date, it will raise more suspicion over how Chinese officials handle tragic incidents.

Chinese authorities have displayed their commitment to punish individuals and companies for ignoring safety laws in their business practices and putting the public at risk. Many companies in China have been accused of ignoring safety laws in the pursuit of profit. Experts agree that the recent spate of chemical explosions is likely to lead to stringent implementation laws by the government.

TagsZhejiang Explosion, China Chemical Explosion, Ming Chemical Company Ltd.