The death toll from a factory explosion in north China's Hebei Province Wednesday afternoon has risen to 13, a government official said Thursday, Xinhua reported.
Fu Qiang, deputy chief of the Funing county government, also said 50 injured in the accident have been taken to hospital. Nine of them are severely injured.
Some 107 people were working in the Qinhuangdao Lihua Starch Co. Ltd. workshop when the explosion occurred in Funing, Qinhuangdao City, at about 4 p.m. Wednesday.
"The exact number workers missing is still unknown. Many of the 44 not yet accounted for may have escaped the explosion by themselves," he said.
The privately-run company, with a registered capital of 1 billion yuan, produces starch and glucose and has 3,300 employees.
An initial investigation showed the accident was a dust explosion, Fu said.
Work safety authorities, together with public security and other government officials, are continuing the investigation into the accident, Fu added.
The company has been ordered to halt production. The police have detained the company's vice general manager and workshop director.
In the wake of the accident, the city government has launched a two-month overhaul of work safety, Fu said.
Death toll in north China factory explosion rises to 13
