_Incident · Fatality_

# ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua chemical plant explosion kills 24 in Hebei, China

Canonical ID: `a0690e55-2d79-4221-b495-7e7adb2f00a0`

- **Occurred:** 2018-11-28
- **Kind:** `fatality`
- **Status (derived):** active
- **Company:** [China National Chemical Corporation](/companies/chemchina.md) (id: `45b0d37f-46b7-4371-af98-16ed01dac363`)

A vinyl chloride gas leak from a tank at a ChemChina subsidiary (Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry Co.) polyvinyl chloride plant in Shengfang, Hebei Province ignited, causing a massive explosion that killed 23 people immediately and one more in hospital. Over 2,000 cubic meters of vinyl chloride leaked due to an overly thinned tank seal. Government investigators faulted Shenghua managers for grossly ignoring safety, hiding company responsibility initially, allowing staff to be absent or sleep on the job, and lacking safety training and procedures. 12 Shenghua staffers including the general manager faced criminal investigation, and 15 ChemChina employees were subject to party discipline.

## Sources (2)

1. **Chemical & Engineering News** · https://cen.acs.org/safety/industrial-safety/ChemChina-faulted-deadly-accident/97/i6 · 2019-02-06
2. **Reuters** · https://www.reuters.com/article/world/chemchina-says-gas-leak-at-hebei-plant-caused-blast-that-killed-23-idUSKCN1NZ0UQ/

## Status history

- **active** · 2026-07-26 · agent:recon

## Common questions

### What happened in ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua chemical plant explosion kills 24 in Hebei, China?

A vinyl chloride gas leak from a tank at a ChemChina subsidiary (Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry Co.) polyvinyl chloride plant in Shengfang, Hebei Province ignited, causing a massive explosion that killed 23 people immediately and one more in hospital. Over 2,000 cubic meters of vinyl chloride leaked due to an overly thinned tank seal. Government investigators faulted Shenghua managers for grossly ignoring safety, hiding company responsibility initially, allowing staff to be absent or sleep on the job, and lacking safety training and procedures. 12 Shenghua staffers including the general manager faced criminal investigation, and 15 ChemChina employees were subject to party discipline.

### When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on November 28, 2018 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

### Who was involved in ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua chemical plant explosion kills 24 in Hebei, China?

The incident is recorded as involving China National Chemical Corporation on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.

### Has anyone responded to ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua chemical plant explosion kills 24 in Hebei, China?

No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.

### What is the current status of ChemChina subsidiary Hebei Shenghua chemical plant explosion kills 24 in Hebei, China?

This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.


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