Eight people were confirmed dead as of 9:30 a.m. Sunday (February 8) following a powerful explosion at a biotech factory in north China’s Shanxi Province, local authorities said.

The blast occurred on Saturday at a workshop of Jiapeng Biotech Company in Shanyin County, under the jurisdiction of Shuozhou City. Emergency responders were immediately dispatched to the scene, where search and rescue operations continued through the night.

According to a Xinhua report, rescue teams conducted intensive operations to locate victims and secure the affected area, while medical personnel remained on standby. The cause of the explosion has not yet been officially disclosed.

Authorities have placed the company’s legal representative under control as part of the ongoing investigation. An official probe team has been formed to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and assess potential safety violations.

Local officials said follow-up work, including support for victims’ families and safety inspections of nearby facilities, is underway as the investigation progresses.

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