From correspondents in Asia Pacific, 12:32 PM IST

An explosion occurred in a chemical plant in southwest China Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of casualty, officials said.

The blast went off at 6 a.m. inside the plant in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, officials said, adding that they were not sure whether there was any casualty.

Rescuers said several blasts were heard and thick smoke enveloped the plant.

The plant is located in a special development zone in Yizhou city, some 100 km from the regional capital of Nanning.

The plant mainly produces chemicals such as polyvinyl acetate (used in adhesives) calcium carbide, and vinyl acetate monomer (used in paints, adhesives and coatings).

(Staff Writer, © IANS)