Chemical plant on fire in central China

A chemical plant in central China's Hunan province caught fire on Wednesday afternoon, with no reports of human casualties yet, the local government said.

The blaze started at around 5:10 p.m. in Hongzhi Chemical Plant in Shuangqing district of Shaoyang city. Some 20 fire engines are struggling to quench the fire, which caused heavy smoke.

The factory had storage tanks containing the dangerous and flammable chemical tetrahydrofuran.

The cause of the fire is unclear.