Company misleads investigation into blast

The chemical company responsible for the blast that claimed the lives of 24 people in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, last year had failed to accurately report the incident to relevant authorities and misled investigators, an official investigation report said on Sunday. On Nov 28, a chemical storage facility owned by Hebei Shenghua Chemical Industry Co Ltd, a subsidiary of China National Chemical Corporation, was leaking highly flammable vinyl chloride gas. The gas exploded at around 12:40 am, triggering a chain of explosions and waves of flames.