Factory explosion in North China leaves eight dead

A deadly explosion at a biotechnology factory occurred in North China has claimed the lives of eight people, according to Chinese media reports on Sunday, February 8. The fatalities count increased by one following an ongoing investigation.

According to state news agency Xinhua, seven people were killed and one person was reported missing after a Saturday morning explosion at the Jiapeng Biotech company in Shanxi province.

While seven people were initially confirmed dead following Saturday’s morning explosion, the death toll has now risen to eight after the final missing person was located.

Concerning the serious incident, Xinhua later confirmed that eight were dead and the firm’s legal representative was taken into custody. Reporters observed dark yellow originating from the explosion, and noted that emergency operations are ongoing.

Additional teams are investigating the cause of the blast. Industrial accidents are common in China, often attributed to inadequate safety enforcement, for instance, an explosion at a steel factory in the neighbouring province of Inner Mongolia killed at least nine people in late January.

Authorities are currently scrutinizing the site to determine the exact cause of this latest tragedy.