QINGDAO - An explosion triggered a fire in a chemical plant in an east China city, leaving three dead, one seriously injured, and another unaccounted for, local authorities said Friday.

The explosion occurred at 2:40 pm in Haiyi Specialty Chemicals Co Ltd in Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, said an official of the Qingdao municipal government.

The fire was now under control but not yet out, the official said.