The fire occurred in the ethylene glycol plant area of Sinopec’s petrochemical complex at approximately 4 a.m. in the city’s Jinshan district, the company said on its official Weibo account.
Rescue teams from Jinshan and Fengxian districts, and the city’s chemical industrial park, were dispatched to the scene, according to Shanghai’s fire department. Rescue operations are underway, it added.
As of approximately 9 a.m. local time, the company said the fire had been brought “under control.”
In a video posted by Shanghai residents on social media and reviewed by CNN, at least one explosion took place at the petrochemical plant as the fire billowed.
China has seen a spate of industrial accidents in recent years that have left scores dead, raising concerns about public safety.
