The blast triggered what looks like a sizable fire and the cause is under investigation. Allow us to speculate: either some factory owners with Party connections were able to skirt safety restrictions again possibly leading to the catastrophic loss of life and the release of untold pollutants into the air and water or else someone had some excess inventory they needed to vaporize.
I’m probably not the first person to note that Chinese factories started blowing up about the time their economy hit a brick wall. Many other, lesser accidents have occurred, without so much as even a nod from the international media. But many in the industry have taken note that certain semiconductor products have recently been offered on AliBaba for astoundingly low prices, if you purchase in excess of 100,000 units, and take immediate delivery. I wonder what was produced at this latest factory to conflagrate?
Party connections + Excess inventory = no safety compliance, and a sham investigation of the fire, as well. The Chinese have been doing business the same way for over a thousand years – communism has only changed who the bribes are paid to, and how many favors can be bought.