XIANGSHUI, Jiangsu, March 24 -- Facing the strong flame of the chemical canister, stepping on pieces of broken glass and sharp steel slag, and breathing the billowing toxic smoke, nearly 1,000 firefighters raced against the clock to save the injured people after a deadly blast hit a chemical plant in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The explosion happened at about 2:48 p.m. Thursday following a fire that broke out in a plant owned by Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Co. Ltd., in a chemical industrial park in Xiangshui County in Yancheng.

The blast ripped through the buildings in the chemical plant and windows and doors several miles away have been shattered into pieces. It is a race against time.

FIGHT WITH COURAGE AND DETERMINATION

"The blast hit an industrial park where 16 chemical plants and a sewage treatment plant stand," said Lu Jun, deputy commander in charge of the rescue. "The worst of all, a number of workers are on duty when the blast occurred."

At 2:58 p.m. Thursday, Zhao Yi, squadron commander of Xiangshui's fire brigade, instantly summoned his team and rushed to the scene upon learning the explosion.

It was complete chaos with people everywhere, Zhao recalled. But Zhao and the other firefighters have to go toward the fire and the thick smoke to rescue as many as possible, as fast as possible.

A number of fire brigades in cities near the Xiangshui County also joined the rescue upon receiving the alert.

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