東營化工廠爆炸善後處理受到批評
Details of an explosion that destroyed an adhesives plant in eastern China, including a mounting death toll, are only slowly emerging despite pledges for greater transparency made in the wake of last month’s Tianjin disaster.
中國東部發生重創一家粘合劑廠的爆炸後，事件細節，包括越來越多的遇難人數，只是緩慢浮出水面，儘管官方在上月天津發生災難後承諾要提高透明度。
The local government of Dongying in Shandong province has gradually raised the number killed to 13 after an initial assessment of one when a single blast destroyed the Binyuan Chemicals plant on August 31. “The bodies were blown to pieces, making the investigation difficult,” it said in an explanation that was deleted from the Dongying government website after being picked up by Chinese media.
8月31日發生的一次爆炸摧毀濱源化工廠後，山東省東營市政府把遇難人數從初步評估的1人逐漸上調至13人。“部分死亡人員遺體爆炸時形成碎片，查找比對工作較爲困難，”東營市政府的這一最初解釋在被中國媒體引用後，已從其官網刪除。
The explosion comes less than a month after the Tianjin blast killed at least 162 people and destroyed thousands of apartments, unsold cars and other facilities. Insurance claims could reach $3.3bn, making it one of Asia’s most expensive man-made disasters for insurers, according to risk and reinsurance specialists Guy Carpenter.
此次爆炸不到一個月前，天津發生的爆炸至少導致162人死亡，摧毀數以千計的公寓、未售出的汽車和其他設施。風險和再保險領域的專家——佳達公司(Guy Carpenter)表示，保險索賠總額可能達到33億美元，使其成爲亞洲發生的對保險公司而言代價最高的人爲災難之一。
Despite the high profile of the Tianjin explosions — mobile phone videos of the blasts went viral worldwide on social media and journalists flocked from Beijing — and the fact dozens of firefighters did not return that night, the city government took days to raise the casualty count.
儘管天津的爆炸令人矚目（爆炸畫面的手機視頻在全球社交媒體上廣爲傳播，大批記者從北京趕赴天津），而且有數十名消防員在第一線遇難的事實，但該市政府在上調死傷人數之前拖延了好幾天。
Similarities in the two cases, including accusations that explosive chemicals were improperly stored, may explain Dongying authorities’ desire to avoid scrutiny over the accident. It also occurred shortly before a Beijing military parade to mark the end of the second world war. Chinese authorities are usually under orders to play down any incidents that might mar such an event.
兩起事件的相似之處，包括有關易燃易爆化學品儲存不當的指控，也許能夠解釋東營當地政府希望避免受到關注的心理。這起事件還發生在北京舉行閱兵式紀念二戰結束70週年前夕。中國地方當局通常會接到命令，要求他們低調處理可能給此類盛大活動蒙上陰影的事件。
Local authorities initially attributed the blast to the explosion of a benzene tank stored too close to the factory.
地方當局最初將此次爆炸歸咎於一個太靠近工廠的苯罐發生爆炸。
“Because the materials they produce are highly flammable, it’s very likely that fire first broke out in the storage house,” said a Chinese oil industry analyst who declined to be identified due to the potential sensitivity of the case. “But we noticed that the benzene tank was not mentioned in lots of state media reports, and I know why that is. Benzene is highly poisonous, and it will affect water and air nearby. 500 cubic meters is not a small amount.”
“因爲他們生產的材料是高度易燃的，所以那場大火很可能首先在倉庫燃起，”一名中國石油業分析師（因本案的潛在敏感性而不願透露姓名）表示。“但我們發現，很多官方媒體的報道沒有提到那個苯罐，而我知道這是爲什麼。苯是劇毒材料，會影響到附近的水和空氣。500立方米不是一個小數目。”
The Lijin government attracted criticism from state media over its weekend statement, which said that some of the dead had been cremated and that “the emotions of their relatives are stable”.
利津縣政府週末發佈的通告招致官方媒體批評，這份通告稱，一些遇難者已被火化，而“遇難者親屬情緒穩定”。
“How can emotions be stable when bodies are blown to pieces?” Xinhua asked, in an article on its mobile platform that was also subsequently deleted.
新華社發佈的微博質疑道：部分遺體被炸碎，通報還強調親屬情緒穩定？這篇博文後來被刪除。
The city of Dongying, at the mouth of the Yellow River, is dominated by Sinopec, the nation’s second-largest state-owned oil company, which operates the Shengli oilfield there. In recent years, as output from the field has declined, the local government has set up petrochemical complexes to attract downstream investors.
地處黃河口的東營市，在經濟上受中國第二大國有石油公司中石化(Sinopec)主導，中石化是位於當地的勝利油田的作業方。近年隨着該油田產量下降，當地政府啓動了石化廠項目以吸引下游投資者。
Binyuan Chemicals is owned by a local chemicals entrepreneur, Li Peixiang. He also owns Dongying Luyuan Sci-Tech and Trade Co, which makes and trades chemicals used in fracking and oil drilling, a Financial Times search of online records shows. Dongying Luyuan is a shareholder in at least one company that is a services contractor to Sinopec and is a supplier to both Sinopec and state-owned PetroChina, according to information it posted online.
山東濱源化學有限公司的老闆是當地化工企業家李培祥。英國《金融時報》對在線記錄的搜索發現，他還擁有東營魯源科工貿公司，該公司從事水力壓裂和石油鑽井所用化學品的生產和貿易。根據其在網上貼出的信息，東營魯源是至少一家中石化服務承包商的股東，而且是中石化和國有的中石油(PetroChina)兩家的供應商。
Sinopec said it had no stake in the company. Binyuan and Luyuan declined to comment.
中石化表示，其在該公司沒有股份。濱源和魯源公司拒絕發表評論。
