An explosion at a steel plant in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China, on Sunday killed two people, left eight missing, and injured 84 others. Local authorities said the blast was caused by a 650-cubic-meter saturated water and steam spherical tank. Rescue operations are ongoing.
On Sunday (January 18, 2026) at 3:03 p.m., an explosion rocked the plate plant of Baogang United Steel in western Baotou City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The blast killed two people, left eight missing, and injured 84, with five in serious condition and the other 79 suffering minor injuries such as facial wounds and soft tissue contusions. All injured individuals are in stable condition and receiving treatment from leading medical experts in the region.
Baotou executive vice mayor Lin Li said at a Monday press briefing that the explosion was caused by the rupture of a 650-cubic-meter saturated water and steam spherical tank. The incident triggered noticeable tremors and sent large plumes of smoke into the sky, littering the ground with debris including collapsed ceilings and pipes. A full-scale rescue operation is underway, with an emergency headquarters coordinating efforts from emergency, fire, public security, health, and market supervision departments.
The government has suspended production at the affected plant and launched a city-wide safety overhaul for industrial and trade enterprises. Environmental monitoring shows no adverse effects on surrounding air or soil quality, with no wastewater generated and utility services, including residential heating, unaffected. An investigation team from the autonomous region is probing the cause and liabilities, and legal actions have been taken against those responsible for the enterprise.
Inner Mongolia Party Secretary Wang Weizhong and government chairman Bao Gang rushed to the scene to oversee rescue efforts. Wang called for scientific search and rescue, full medical treatment for the injured, strict prevention of secondary risks, and a swift investigation into the accident. Baogang United Steel has ordered all-out efforts to search for the missing, verify casualties, and treat the injured.
Industrial accidents remain a persistent issue in China, underscoring the need for robust safety measures. The 2015 Tianjin port explosions killed 173 people, while a chemical plant blast in Shandong last May claimed five lives and injured at least 19.
