Sunday Times 2
Explosion at factory in eastern China kills 65: State media
View(s):KUNSHAN, China, Aug 2 (AFP) -An explosion killed 65 people today as it ripped through a factory in eastern China on Saturday, state media said, injuring 150 in what appeared to be an industrial accident.
Residents walk around a damaged building of a factory after an explosion in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, August 2 (REUTERS)
The blast in Kunshan, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu near Shanghai, “has resulted in 65 deaths”, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) said, citing official sources.
The explosion occurred Saturday morning at a factory which is involved in the production of car parts for US automotive companies, including General Motors, state media said.
“We heard the explosion and we were all shocked,” a security guard from a nearby factory who declined to be named told AFP. He said the blast occurred as workers were changing shifts, resulting in higher casualties.
Preliminary investigations show that the blast was caused by dust produced as workers polished metal meeting with high temperatures or an open flame, China’s ministry of public security said on a verified microblogging account.