2 killed, 24 injured in China factory blast

Two people were killed and 24 others injured in an explosion at a machinery plant in the northern Chinese province of Jilin, the local government said on Saturday. At least 41 houses were damaged in the blast and a subsequent fire which began shortly before midnight on Friday, it said.

The cause of the explosion was not released yet but the officials said that they have ruled out terrorism. Rescue efforts were ongoing on Saturday morning and people had been evacuated from the area. Scores of police, firefighters and medical personnel had been sent to the scene.

China has pledged to improve safety in factories, though explosions and other incidents are common due to patchy enforcement of rules.

In August, five people were killed in an explosion at an aluminum plant in the eastern city of Jiangsu, while in July, 19 people died in a blast at a chemical plant in the south-western province of Sichuan.

Earlier this month two people were killed while 16 were slightly wounded and two were left in serious condition in a factory explosion in the city of Ningbo.

The explosion in Ningbo had destroyed the roofs and two buildings at the site of the blast and also shattered windows and punched holes in the walls of some residential and commercial properties as far as a kilometer away. Images from CCTV also showed a few flattened cars and a low-rise building with a collapsed wall.