Work teams and professional rescue forces have been dispatched to a chemical plant blast that took place in Gaomi, a county-level city of Shandong province, on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The blast occurred at approximately 11:57 am at the workshop of Shandong Youdao Chemical.

Upon receiving the report, the ministry immediately implemented emergency measures.

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Hu Minglang, deputy minister of emergency management, has led a work team to the site. National comprehensive fire and rescue forces, along with specialized emergency response teams, have been deployed to assist in the rescue. Medical experts have been called in to help with treating casualties. Local fire and rescue services have sent 55 vehicles and 232 personnel to the scene.

Wang Xiangxi, minister of emergency management, made requirements on verifying the number of affected individuals, mobilizing professional teams to extinguish the fire, conducting search and rescue operations, and arranging medical experts to treat the injured. Authorities are working to manage aftermath work while closely monitoring the situation.

Environmental authorities in Gaomi have deployed monitoring teams to assess the air quality around the explosion site, with test results still pending, according to local officials.

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As a precautionary measure, residents living near the affected area were advised to wear masks if they detect unusual odors.