Two oil storage tanks at the chemical plant in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province on fire on Tuesday Photo: CFP

The fire at the chemical plant in Zhangzhou, East China’s Fujian Province was extinguished late Tuesday, after a blast at the paraxylene (PX) factory injured six people Monday evening.

Three hours after the fire was thought to have been put out on Tuesday, flames rekindled at one of the three oil storage tanks that was ablaze previously, the local fire department said Tuesday evening. China Central Television has since reported that the fire has been extinguished once again. More than 170 fire engines and over 820 firefighters were dispatched to the scene.

According to China National Emergency Broadcasting, 120 officers from a military chemical defense battalion also participated in the operation.

An initial investigation revealed on Tuesday that the explosion was caused by an oil leak at a xylene facility.

Health authorities said six injured people are receiving treatment at a hospital. Of the six, one was a worker at the factory and the other five were near the plant at the time of the explosion. The five outside the plant were injured by flying debris but all six only received minor injuries, said the local authorities.

Environmental protection authorities have dispatched over 50 personnel to monitor the area. Excessive levels of pollutants have not been detected in nearby villages.

About 400 people that live close to the plant have been evacuated from their homes, reported the China News Service.

A local, surnamed Wu, told the Global Times that some residents of a nearby village have evacuated, but most people in his village have not, even though their water supply was cut off on Tuesday.

"I understand that the project was aimed at benefiting us but local authorities should guarantee its technical safety with strong government supervision. It cannot affect our lives like this," said another local, surnamed Xu.

This is reportedly the second explosion at the plant since July 2013 when a pipeline cracked during a pressure test. No injuries were reported after that explosion. The plant was shut down by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in January 2013 due to violations of environmental law, but production restarted at the plant in June 2013.

The plant was relocated from Xiamen, also in Fujian, in 2013 after locals rallied against the plant in May 2007.

PX is used to make polyester. However, PX projects in Dalian, Liaoning Province, and Kunming, Yunnan Province, have also been controversial and were cancelled after construction began due to local resistance, as residents were concerned that production of the chemical could threaten the environment.

China’s environmental minister said in March that public opinion should be sought before construction begins on such projects.

The plant’s development involved a total investment of 13.8 billion yuan and it produces 800,000 tons of PX products annually, the Xinhua News Agency reported.