China searches for 9 missing workers after factory blast kills 20

China searches for 9 missing workers after factory blast kills 20

Dozens of rescuers searched Monday for nine missing people in the rubble of a Chinese explosives factory where a blast killed at least 20 workers, the government said.

The explosion Saturday at a workshop at the 761 Explosive Co. Ltd. in the eastern city of Zhaoyuan in Shandong province knocked down trees up to 20 meters (65 feet) away, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Two workers were hospitalized in stable condition but nine others were missing, Xinhua said.

The cause of the disaster was under investigation.

The private factory employs some 600 people and prepares explosives for use in nearby gold mines, the report said.

I.L.