Burning chemical plant in Dongying, Shandong Province. [Photo: Xinhua]

The death toll from an explosion at a chemical plant in Shandong this week has risen to 5.

A facility which produces chemical adhesives exploded around midnight on Monday.

It's located on the outskirts of the city of Dongying near the mouth of the Yellow River in Shandong.

Authorities have not said whether or not there are environmental concerns.

The subsequent fire was put out in around 5-hours.

So far it's unclear what sparked the explosion.

It's being reported 6 officials with the company are currently being held in connection with the incident.

The Dongying area of Shandong is home to the Shengli Oil Field, which is one of the largest in China.