Five people were killed and 32 injured with two others missing from a chemical plant explosion on Sunday at Kunming, capital of southwestern Yunnan Province, local government said.

The injured had been hospitalized and rescuers were searching for the missing, according to a notice issued by the city's government.

The explosion happened at a sulphuric acid plant under the state-run Yuntianhua International Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. in the early hours on Sunday and caused a heavy fire.

(Xinhua News Agency January 13, 2008)