Students and shopkeepers in the northeastern Chinese port city of Dalian had a lucky escape when a crude oil pipeline exploded near a residential area and a school, sending flames into the night sky and forcing a temporary evacuation.
Although no one was hurt, the incident highlighted how China’s sprawling cities are spreading across land that had been previously put to industrial use, with few systems in place to prevent potentially lethal accidents.
China National Petroleum Corp, parent of listed PetroChina, said a construction company drilling in the Jinzhou area of Dalian had breached its crude pipeline on Monday evening, resulting in the explosion of crude that leaked into gutters.