Four people were injured in an explosion Tuesday at the Sakai Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. chemical plant in Iwaki, Japan.
Officials told Kyodo News that the blast happened at about 7:45 a.m. and that three people received burns and one experienced minor injuries during the incident. An English language report noted that the facility manufactures zinc oxide and zinc powders used in the cosmetics and paints industries.
Fire and law enforcement agencies have opened an investigation into the cause of the explosion, according to Reuters.
Interesting - I wonder why there was an explosion with zinc? Insufficient inerting? Zinc dust collecting?
flour and powdered sugar and coal dust also explode if they are in a dust cloud and some ignition source is nearby. These are fairly common hazards known in the industry.
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