Nearly 70 persons were injured and six were left missing in a series of blasts that rocked a chemical plant in northeast China's Jilin Province yesterday afternoon, authorities said.

No deaths had been reported as of late last night.

More than 10,000 residents and students were evacuated for fear of further explosions and exposure to chemical fumes in the towering clouds emanating from the burning plant along the Songhua River in Jilin City.

The first blast erupted at a workshop at the No. 101 Chemical Plant run by the Jilin Petroleum and Chemical Company at 1:40pm. Other explosions followed through 3pm.

The blasts shattered windows in buildings 100 to 200 meters from the plant.

Dozens of fire engines were called in to battle the blaze, which was under control around midnight, according a report on the People's Daily Website.

The report said chemical processing equipment where the explosion originated had been isolated, preventing further explosions.

Authorities were monitoring pollution in the region.

Two residential areas, the Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology and a campus of Beihua University are located near the factory.

Two seriously injured victims were undergoing operations late yesterday while rescuers searched the rubble of the chemical plant for the six missing workers.

The city government mobilized hotels and hostels and other businesses to provide shelter for the evacuees. Many taxi companies participated in the evacuation.

The company is a subsidiary of PetroChina Company Ltd.