Posted on 08/02/2014 9:08:10 AM PDT by DeaconBenjamin
An explosion at a factory in China has killed at least 65 people, according to Chinese state media.
Another 150 people were injured in the blast on Saturday morning in Kunshan, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu near Shanghai.
Workers in the factory were producing parts for cars for US companies including General Motors, state media said.
"We heard the explosion and we were all shocked," a security guard from a nearby factory told Agence France-Presse. He said the blast happened as workers were changing shifts, resulting in higher casualties.
Forty people died at the scene, and more than 20 others died in hospital, Chinese broadcasters said. Medical staff were sent from Shanghai to treat burns victims, according to the People's Daily.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the blast was caused by dust produced as workers polished metal meeting with high temperatures or an open flame, China's ministry of public security said.
"The scene is a mess, it's unrecognisable," a witness at the scene wrote on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
Chinese state television identified the factory as Zhongrong Plating. Company officials could not be reached for a comment. Its website says it employs 450 workers and counts General Motors and other US companies as clients. No one at General Motors in China was immediately available for comment.
Jiangsu province is on China's coast, where many local and foreign companies have facilities producing goods for export.
Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety standards are often lax. A fire at a poultry plant in the north-east of the country killed 119 people last year. Reports at the time said managers had locked doors inside the factory to prevent workers from going to the toilet, leading to the high death toll.
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I think in some ways central planning is advantageous, though China has incorporated an interesting market-authoritarian mix. Of course, I’m not in favor of it and don’t believe it is as effective as freedom.
But demographers are all wet IMO as far as far as expecting that growing populations are always advantageous. China’s ageing populace grew up in poverty, which won’t be that expensive to carry to their end lives. Controlling key resources will be important, size of political entity will matter, and so will their individual smarts and drive.
Are you always patronizing in your posts here, or have I just especially triggered it in you?
Whatever.
We are clearly on opposite sides of the globalism issue.
You brought me into this thread, I’m just stating we (as in both parties) are giving away America’s future, as things stand right now.
Both parties.
I really don’t understand, why nobody is for America anymore.
We need to stop punishing businesses with the highest taxes on Earth and regulating them out of business.
What policy changes do you recommend, to be for America?
Concern troll.
The managers might be executed.
I don’t mean to sound patronizing, but you’re here on FR liking central planning, denying the benefits of a growing population and that’s a bit weird, no?
Not whatever. You’ve got an axe you’ve ground down to the wooden handle. You’re wrong and won’t admit it. You’ve admitted that the division of labor (specialization) creates wealth and that absolute and relative advantage tied to preferences drive commerce aka trade.
You don’t like China and that sells on FR. I’m with you. I don’t like a lot of the Chinese culture and want to see the end of communism in all its forms. But that’s not quite your angle is it?
Instead, you’re “just saying” that America’s future is being given away.
Is it over regulation?
High taxation?
Massive debt? (remember that federal debt isn’t the same as the trade deficit. I know you know that, but lurkers might think you forgot)
What’s driving jobs overseas? What does your union steward say?
They likely deserve it. The comparison of the cost of proper ventilation to the cost of rebuilding the plant is pennies to dollars. The loss of life is less important to the Chinese crony capitalists but the bad press also calls for them being shot. This is way beyond an accident as are the mine “accidents” and are as inexcusable. It really angers me.
Was it a Titan by any chance?
I test drove one of those around 2006, and the major problems were:
Excessive body flex would cause the tailgate to pop loose from the bed, and dangle by the restraints, and when in 4wd low, the front differential would damage itself when trying to make a sharp turn, requiring replacement of the differential and gear set. Those are from my personal notes.
Its almost 10 yrs old but less than 40,000 miles. I've had a very, very slow coolant loss but not bad. There's a problem in the pollution control system that might be the gas cap but I've ignored it because where I live there is no tail pipe testing.
I don't drive much so I buy gas every three months and change the oil once a year even if it doesn't need it.
I paid around 13,000 for it(2004) and I've spent maybe a $100 investigating the coolant loss and pollution control problem
What the hell are they making GM parts out of? Thermite?
I know you can buy new China manufactured chrome bumpers for about half of what it costs to get the originals re-chromed in the USA.
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