An explosion rocked a chemical plant in Mailiao Township, Yunlin County in central Taiwan Sunday afternoon, and there have been no immediate reports of death or injuries, local police and fire fighters said.
Footage posted online by witnesses showed dark smoke billowing into the sky, and loud explosions were heard from the chemical plant.
The explosion occurred at about 2 p.m. Sunday at a chemical industrial zone in Mailiao township about 200 km south of Taipei.
"The explosions were so big that glasses in my house were shaking," an eyewitness said in footage shot several kilometers from the plant.
Fire fighters and police arrived at the scene about 20 minutes after receiving an explosion report. Preliminary investigations show a fracture in a liquefied natural gas pipeline could have led to the explosion, according to local TV reports.
Rescue efforts are underway.
