Factory explosion kills eight in Shanxi, China

Eight people have died following an explosion at a biotechnology factory in central China on February 7.

The blast occurred in a workshop in Shanyin County, Shanxi Province, operated by Jiapeng Biotechnology, a company engaged in bio-feed, coal and related products, building materials, and paint manufacturing, Caliber.Az reports via Chinese media.

The county government said the rescue operation had concluded, and the company’s legal representative had been taken into police custody. Officials from Shuozhou, the city overseeing Shanyin, are investigating the cause of the incident.

The workshop, located in a mountainous area more than 40 km from Shanyin town centre, was leased and converted by Jiapeng Biotechnology in an 8.5 million yuan ($1.2 million) plan to produce 15,000 tonnes of bio-feed raw materials per year.

Public records show the company, established on June 26, was not licensed to handle dangerous chemicals.

By Khagan Isayev