BEIJING (REUTERS) - A fire after an explosion at a chemical plant in Tongling city in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui was brought under control and no injuries were reported, state media said on Thursday (Feb 9).

The official Tongling Daily said on its microblog that the blast happened late on Wednesday (Feb 8) evening, sending flames shooting into the sky.

"At present there are no injuries or deaths," it said. "The fire caused by the explosion has been effectively controlled."

Deadly accidents are relatively common at industrial plants in China. China has vowed to improve safety at such facilities.

President Xi Jinping has said authorities would learn the lessons paid for with blood after chemical blasts in the port city of Tianjin killed 165 people in 2015.