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China Local News

Shandong Petrochemical Plant Explosion: 8 Dead, 9 Injured (Updated)

A huge explosion at a Shandong petrochemical plant that occurred in the early morning of June 5 has left one person dead and at least nine people injured.

Manya Koetse

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A huge explosion at a Shandong petrochemical plant that occurred in the early morning of June 5 has left one 8 persons dead and at least nine people injured.

A large explosion in a petrochemical plant rocked the city of Linyi (临沂市), Shandong, on Monday. According to Chinese media, the incident has left one 8 persons dead and nine others injured. One of the injured is in critical condition. The blast occurred in the Linyi Economic & Technology Development Area around 1 AM.

According to several Chinese media, seven persons are still missing.

Firefighters at the site of the Linyi explosions.

The incident reportedly happened during a fuel tanker’s process of unloading.

On Weibo, the explosions are referred to as the “6.5 Blasts” (“6.5 爆炸”). Various social media reports say the effects of the explosions could be felt kilometers from the plant site. One person from Linyi said he saw the sky turn red: “I thought it was an earthquake.”

Some people who live in the vicinity of the plant are asking on Weibo when it is safe for them to return to their homes.

The petrochemical factory where the explosion occurred is Linyi Jinyu Petrochemical Co. Ltd. (临沂金誉石化有限公司), which was established in June of 2016. About 200 people work at the factory. It is not yet known how many staff members were present when the blast occurred. The person in charge of running the company has now been detained.

The location of the Jinyu plant where the explosions occurred. (Image via Google Maps.)

China has the largest chemicals industry in the world. Over the past few year, there have been multiple reports of accidents and blasts at industrial plants. In August of 2015, an enormous explosion took place at a power plant in the harbor city of Tianjin, injuring hundreds of people and leaving 170 people dead. Chinese authorities have since vowed to improve safety at such facilities.

Note: We previously shared a video of an explosion here that was published by Chinese state media People’s Daily on Sina Weibo today, reporting about the Shandong Linyi explosions. This video, however, shows the Tianjin explosions of 2015. Apologies for any confusion. On Weibo, netizens respond: “People’s Daily, what? This is false, this is the video of the Tianjin Binhai explosion, it’s been on my phone for two years already.” Others also commented on the video, but People’s Daily has not removed it yet. The current featured video on this page does show the footage of the Linyi site.

By Manya Koetse

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©2017 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

Manya Koetse is the founder and editor-in-chief of whatsonweibo.com. She is a writer, public speaker, and researcher (Sinologist, MPhil) on social trends, digital developments, and new media in an ever-changing China, with a focus on Chinese society, pop culture, and gender issues. She shares her love for hotpot on hotpotambassador.com. Contact at manya@whatsonweibo.com, or follow on Twitter.

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China Local News

Changsha Restaurant Employee Pays the Price after Protecting Abused Child

A Changsha restaurant employee who intervened when a mother beat her child ended up paying the price for it.

Manya Koetse

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The story of a restaurant employee who had to pay the price for sharing a video of a mother beating her child has triggered anger on Chinese social media.

The incident happened on September 14, when Mr. Jiang (江), an employee at the ‘Peng Shu’ Western-style restaurant in Changsha, stopped a mother from beating her young daughter at the shopping mall where the restaurant is located.

As reported by the Guizhou media channel People’s Focus (@百姓关注), a mother and daughter at the restaurant drew the staff’s attention when the mother began physically assaulting her daughter.

The mother, clearly overwhelmed by her emotions, resorted to kicking, hitting, yelling, and even attempting to strike her child with a chair, allegedly in response to the child accidentally spilling ice cream on her clothing.

During this distressing incident, which was captured on video, Mr. Jiang and another colleague intervened to protect the child and immediately alerted the police to the situation.

But the one who was punished in the end was not the mother.

The video of this incident was shared online, leading the woman to repeatedly visit the restaurant in frustration over her unblurred face in the video. The police had to mediate in this dispute.

To the dismay of many netizens, the employee ended up being forced to pay the woman 10,000 yuan ($1369) in compensation for “moral damages.” He has since resigned from his job and has left Changsha. A related hashtag was viewed over 110 million times on Weibo (#餐厅员工发顾客打娃视频后赔1万离职#) and also became a hot topic on Douyin.

The majority of commenters expressed their anger at the unjust outcome where a restaurant employee, who had attempted to protect the child, faced repercussions while the mother appeared to avoid any legal consequences for her actions.

“Where is the All-China Women’s Federation when you need them?” some wondered, while others wanted to know why the incident was not followed up with an immediate investigation into the child abuse. Others suggested that if it were a man who had beaten his child, authorities would have been quicker to intervene.

The issue of corporal punishment for children often comes up in Chinese social media discussions. While many people find it unacceptable to beat children, using violence to discipline children is also commonplace in many families.

When China’s first national law against domestic violence came into effect on 1 March 2016, article 5 and 12 specifically addressed the special legal protection of children and made family violence against children against the law.

By Manya Koetse

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©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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China Local News

Chinese Man Wants to Marry Deaf-Mute Girlfriend, Marriage License Application Gets Denied

The marriage was denied after a local official found the woman did not learn sign language and could not write.

Manya Koetse

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WEIBO SHORTS

A man from Gongyi, Zhengzhou, Henan, recently became a trending topic on Chinese social media due to the denial of his marriage license application with his girlfriend, who is deaf and mute.

According to Chinese media reports, both sets of parents had consented to the marriage, and the couple had already taken their wedding photos. However, the local Bureau of Civil Affairs rejected their application, citing the requirement for both parties to independently declare their intention to marry.

The woman, who had never attended a school for the Deaf, lacked the ability to use sign language, write, or communicate effectively. The Bureau advised the couple to return once she had completed her education and could express her desire to marry.

The potential future mother-in-law of the young woman spoke to Chinese media, explaining that her daughter-in-law’s situation was unique, as she had not attended a specialized school and therefore could not meet the marriage requirements.

The man’s mother expressed disappointment about the marriage being denied in an online interview.

As news of this incident circulated on Chinese social media, many people praised the “responsible decision” of the local Bureau of Civil Affairs.

Last year, one human trafficking case gained national prominence after a TikTok vlogger exposed the horrific living conditions of a woman in Xuzhou who appeared to be unable to communicate. She was married with eight children and kept in a shed next to the house, tied to a chain.

It later turned out that local officials made errors in properly checking and verifying when approving the marriage certificate.

While many people believe that cases like the one in Xuzhou should never occur again, some also feel that the situation in Gongyi is unfair to the girl. Given that both sets of parents had already consented to the marriage, and the couple had even taken wedding photos, some argue that it is unreasonable to expect the girl to learn sign language before proceeding with the marriage.

One commenter from Sichuan points out: “Ordinary people who are facing infidelity and domestic violence during their marriages already struggle with divorce. For a deaf and mute person who cannot communicate through sign language and who has no way of communicating, we can’t be sure about their marriage intentions. However, we can be sure that if they need a divorce, it might be a nearly insurmountable challenge.”

Also read: Twists and Turns in the Tragic Story of the Xuzhou Chained Mother

By Manya Koetse

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©2023 Whatsonweibo. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission – you can contact us at info@whatsonweibo.com.

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