Factory explosion in North China kills 8
The explosion occurred at Jiapeng biotech company, located in Shanyin County, about 400km west of Beijing.
Clean-up operations are ongoing and dark yellow smoke was seen rising from the explosion site. (Photo: AFP)
BEIJING: An explosion at a biotech factory in northern China has killed eight people, Chinese state media reported on Sunday (Feb 8), increasing the total number of fatalities by one.
State news agency Xinhua had previously reported that seven people died and one person was missing after the Saturday morning explosion at the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanxi province, citing local authorities.
Later, Xinhua said eight were dead, adding that the firm’s legal representative had been taken into custody.
The company is located in Shanyin County, about 400km west of Beijing.
Xinhua said clean-up operations were ongoing, noting that reporters observed dark yellow smoke emanating from the site of the explosion.
Authorities have established a team to investigate the cause of the blast, the report added.
Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards.
In late January, an explosion at a steel factory in the neighbouring province of Inner Mongolia left at least nine people dead.
