Five people were killed, and six others are still missing as of 7:25 p.m. on Tuesday after an explosion earlier in the day at the workshop of a chemical company in Gaomi City, east China's Shandong Province, local authorities announced.

Another 19 people suffered minor injuries, the authorities said.

Emergency response efforts are currently underway.

The blast occurred at approximately 11:57 a.m. at the workshop of Shandong Youdao Chemical.

Upon receiving the report of the blast, the Ministry of Emergency Management immediately dispatched a work team and specialized personnel, including firefighters, medical experts and work safety specialists, to aid local rescue efforts.

A joint rescue command center was established to coordinate efforts, including searching for the missing, treating the injured, comforting families and monitoring the environment. 

Local firefighting and rescue team has sent 55 vehicles and 232 personnel to the scene.

On-site search and rescue and cleanup operations are still underway.

(With input from Xinhua)