Deadly factory blast in China's Inner Mongolia sends smoke plume into sky, blows out windows

Eyewitness footage released on Sunday (January 18) showed a massive smoke plume after a deadly explosion at a steel plate factory in north China's Inner Mongolia region.

The blast killed two people and left five missing, according to local emergency management and fire rescue departments, China's state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Reuters was able to confirm the location of the footage by buildings, roadmap layout and signages which matched file and satellite images. The location of explosion in the video also matched the location of steel plate factory of Baotou Steel Union, which was mentioned in the statement released by Deputy Mayor. Reuters was not able to independently verify the date of the video. Deputy Mayor of Baotou stated on a presser that the explosion happened on Sunday (January 18, 2026.) The shape of the smoke corroborated with footages released by local media.

The explosion occurred at a plate plant of steelmaker Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union in Baotou city at around 3 p.m. on Sunday, CCTV reported. Sixty-six people were hospitalised after the blast, with three in critical condition, the report said.

Local authorities dispatched rescue teams to the site to carry out search and rescue operations following the incident, and the cause of the explosion remains under investigation, it said.

Production: Feline Lim/Reuters