YAMAGUCHI (Jiji-Daily Yomiuri)--One male employee died and 11 were injured at a chemical plant in an explosion in Waki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the hours just before dawn on Sunday.

The blast occurred at about 2:15 a.m. in one of the plants at Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.'s Iwakuni-Otake factory, causing a fire. According to the prefectural government and other sources, the explosion affected about 410 households in Waki and Iwakuni, both in the prefecture, as well as neighboring Otake, Hiroshima Prefecture, breaking residents' windows. Police reported nine residents were injured.

Shota Sunakawa, 22, a plant employee, died in the explosion, according to Iwakuni Police Station. No noxious gas is believed to have been produced despite the fire that broke out, police said. The Yamaguchi prefectural police are questioning plant officials on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.

According to the company, two employees near the explosion site were seriously injured and five others were harmed. Four employees of another company sustained minor injuries.

Plant manager Shigeru Hara said the accident occurred at a plant manufacturing resorcin, a material for making an adhesive agent commonly used in tire production. According to Hara, after a facility responsible for supplying steam to the factory unexpectedly stopped, operations at about 70 percent of its plants were suddenly halted.

An explosion in March at the Bostik Inc. adhesive company in Middleton was caused when flammable vapors were ignited by an undetermined source, the state Department of Fire Services said today.

The March 13 explosion, which injured four workers, happened when a flammable liquid solvent was being added to a 4,000-gallon reaction vessel containing polyester resin solution, the office, which is headed by State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, said in a statement.

The office said it had also issued three non-criminal notices of violation to the company and was recommending changes in laws and regulations to improve chemical process safety in the state.

The violations were for storing more flammable liquids than the company was licensed to store; failing to obtain a permit for a dust-producing grinding operation; and failing to obtain a permit for the storage of flammable liquids, the office said.

The company said in May that the explosion was caused by open valves that let flammable gas flood the building.

The Burbank Fire Hazmat team was called to Wilson’s Leather in the 3100 block of Magnolia Boulevard Friday when it was reported that a white solution was being dumped into the flood control system, officials said.

Eight firefighters from the Hazmat team responded to the scene about 6:55 a.m. to find remodeling work in progress, Fire Capt. John Nare said.

“They were stripping the floors of an adhesive that held down carpeting and dumped it into the flood control system and firefighters had them stop,” Nare said.

Los Angeles County officials were called to the scene to investigate whether the chemicals posed a danger and if would reach water ways.

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - Three people were hospitalized with breathing problems on Monday after a hazmat situation in Peachtree City. Officials say more than 90 workers had to be evacuated from Avery Dennison Manufacturing Company on Highway 74.

The situation began around 1:30 p.m. when employees reported an odor similar to natural gas. Firefighters in white hazmat suits were called in, and authorities say they conducted extensive tests inside the building to make sure it was safe.

Three people—a woman and two men—were taken to the hospital with lightheadedness and breathing problems. They were still receiving treatment on Monday evening, but they are expected to be okay.

Authorities say adhesive backing for labels is manufactured there, but they found nothing dangerous or hazardous in the air. Workers were allowed back in after crews gave the all-clear before 5 p.m.

AHMEDABAD: A chemical storagehouse on Sarkhej-Sanand highway caught fire late on Friday night. Firefighting continued for 12 hours as Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) personnel worked round the clock to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby industrial units.

According to AFES officials, they got a call at 11 pm for a fire at Micra Inks Pvt Ltd near Navjivan Hotel. Two vehicles were dispatched to the spot. The vehicles soon reported the intensity of the fire after which a brigade call was issued. A total of three officers and 80 personnel reached the spot with three firefighters and 29 tankers.

"It was an intense fire as the material stored at the godown contained ink and adhesive material which contain alcohol and solvent. We have not been able to ascertain the ignition point of the fire. We believe it could have started due to leakage of material or rise in pressure on the drums due to heat and moisture. The fire started around 11 pm after which it quickly spread to other parts due to the flammability of the stored material," said Rajesh Bhatt, additional chief fire officer of AFES.

STRAFFORD — The Strafford School was evacuated Thursday afternoon and classes were dismissed early because of an odor that emanated from a part of the school undergoing renovations.

SAU 44 Superintendent Dr. Michael Ludwell said the odor became noticeable in the school around noon when most students were eating lunch. Ludwell said the odor came from a classroom in a part of the school that's been part of ongoing renovations.

"We decided to err on the side of caution and call in the fire and police departments and evacuate the building at lunchtime," Ludwell said.

Fire Chief Paul Stover said the odor was caused by a reaction between a chemical for removing floor adhesive and the adhesive in one of the classrooms undergoing renovation.

"God only knows how old the adhesive on the floor was," Stover said. "It also didn't help they had all the doors open in the area and the wind was blowing in the school."

COIMBATORE: A major fire broke out in a chemical factory at Sengalipalayam near Periyanaickenpalayam in the city outskirts on Saturday morning. The three-storeyed chemical factory and about 1.5 tonnes of adhesive chemical manufactured at the factory were destroyed in the blaze.

Around 4am on Saturday, four workers at the factory noticed an electric short circuit near the containers where the chemical adhesives were stored. The short circuit triggered a fire in the factory and the adhesives blew up.

About 50 staff of the Fire and Rescue Services fought the blaze for over two hours. But the chemicals and most part of the building were destroyed. "If the blaze had spread to neighbouring buildings, it would have been a major tragedy," a police official said.