Beijing - An explosion at a chemical plant has left 16 people dead and six missing in south-western China's Guangxi region, the State Administration of Work Safety said on Wednesday.

A series of explosions and a fire also injured 57 workers at the Guangwei Chemical Company on Tuesday, state media said.

The fire spread over 10,000 square metres and forced the evacuation of 11,500 local residents in Guangxi's Yizhou city, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Environmental experts were monitoring the nearby Longjiang river for possible chemical pollution after the accident, the agency said.

Local officials were investigating the cause of the explosion at the plant, which mainly produced polyvinyl acetate (PVA) and similar chemicals for use in adhesives, paints and coatings. (dpa)