8 people were killed in a factory explosion in China

The death toll from an explosion that occurred on Saturday at a biotechnology factory in northern China rose from seven to eight people, according to the new Chinese news agency, Xinhua.

The agency had previously reported that the number of victims of the explosion that occurred at the Jiaping Biotechnology Company in Shanxi Province, about 400 kilometers west of Beijing, reached seven, in addition to one missing person.

Later, the agency reported that eight people had died, adding that the company’s legal representative had been detained.

Xinhua indicated that survey operations are still continuing at the site, noting that reporters noticed dark yellow smoke rising from the site of the explosion. The explosion occurred early Saturday morning, and its causes are being investigated.

Industrial accidents often occur in China as a result of non-compliance with safety standards.

In late January, an explosion at a steel factory in neighboring Inner Mongolia province killed at least nine people.