Eight killed in eastern China factory explosion

Eight people were killed in a factory explosion in eastern China's Jiangsu province on Saturday, state media reported.

The blast occurred at 3:38 am local time (1938 GMT on Friday) in the workshop of a metal product factory in Changzhou city, 180 kilometres (111 miles) northwest of Shanghai, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

"A dust explosion occurred in the production workshop of Shenrong Metal Technology Limited, killing eight people and lightly injuring eight others," Xinhua said.

A dust explosion occurs when flammable particles, including metals, in the air ignite.

An investigation into the blast is under way, Xinhua reported.

Deadly industrial accidents are common in China, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced.

In May last year, nine people died in a blast at a factory used to produce hydrogen peroxide in Liaocheng, a city in China's eastern Shandong province.

And in November 2022, more than 20 people were killed at a factory in central China's Henan province, with authorities blaming workers engaged in illegal welding.

AFP