8 dead after explosion at biotech plant in Northern China

At least eight people have been confirmed dead after an explosion tore through a biotech factory in northern China on Sunday, state media noted, raising the death toll by one, Report informs referring to FirstPost.

The explosion occurred at around 9:00 AM (GMT+8) at a workshop of the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanyin county, Shuozhou city.

State news agency Xinhua had previously noted 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 confirmed eight people are dead, adding that the firm's legal representative had been taken into custody and an investigation team has been established.

The company is located in Shanyin County, about 400 kilometres west of Beijing.