On Thursday afternoon the Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Plant in eastern China exploded due to benzene gas becoming exposed to a production section of the plant. Approximately 3,000 people have evacuated the area due to glass and debris covering surrounding buildings and houses. Large fires and an earthquake with a 2.2 magnitude have occurred as a result and have affected over 600 people. Up to 47 people have died due to initial explosion as well as the aftermath, and even more are currently in critical condition. It is estimated that there is 1.1 billion dollars worth of damage, and victims have already begun to receive settlements. President Xi Jinping has addressed the issue and pointed out that the amount of chemical explosions in China has increased over the past few years. The Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Plant has previously faced criticism due to unsafe conditions at the plant, but no action has been taken by authorities or plant officials to correct this issue. The plant was marked with over a dozen safety violations last year.