Eight people were confirmed dead as of Sunday morning following a biotech factory explosion in north China's Shanxi Province, local authorities reported. The blast occurred on Saturday at a workshop operated by Jiapeng Biotech Company in Shanyin County, Shuozhou City.
The company's legal representative has been detained, and an investigation team is currently examining the cause of the incident. This marks one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the region this year, raising renewed concerns about workplace safety protocols in high-risk industries.
Authorities emphasized that rescue operations concluded by Sunday afternoon, with no additional casualties reported. The explosion has drawn attention to the biotech sector's rapid expansion in Shanxi, a province traditionally known for coal production but increasingly diversifying into advanced manufacturing.
Analysts suggest the incident may prompt stricter regulatory reviews for chemical and biotech facilities across the Chinese mainland. Local officials have pledged to release preliminary findings within the coming weeks.
