At least five people have died and six more people are missing after a large explosion rocked a chemical plant in eastern China on Tuesday, according to local authorities. The blast spewed a towering plume of gray and orange smoke into the sky, damaged windows in nearby buildings and prompted a rescue operation. The incident happened in the workshop of Shandong Youdao Chemical in Gaomi city, Shandong province, minutes before noon local time, state broadcaster CCTV reported. It did not give a reason for the explosion. A further 19 people suffered minor injuries, local authorities said in a statement. Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed smoke engulfing buildings in an industrial park. Windows in some nearby low-rise buildings were damaged, the footage showed. The local fire and rescue services dispatched 55 vehicles and 232 personnel to the scene, while the Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a working group and rescue reinforcements, the ministry said in a statement. A staff member working at a hotel some 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) from the blast site said she heard the explosion around noon. “The sound was quite loud with a bang. It only lasted for a moment,” she told CNN, adding that the hotel did not suffer any damage.

Full report : Five dead and six missing after huge blast rocks Chinese chemical plant.