Two separate factory blasts kill 2, injure 17 in E. China

HANGZHOU - Two separate factory blasts in East China on Saturday have left two people dead and 17 others injured, authorities said on Sunday.

An explosion in an iron smelting factory in Zhejiang province has left one dead and seven others injured, local authorities said.

The accident occurred around 9:30 pm Saturday at the coal feeding workshop of Yuanli Metal Products Co Ltd in Quzhou city, according to the government of Quzhou.

Conditions of the injured are not immediately available.

The Quzhou government has ordered a work safety check in the city after the accident.

Also on Saturday, a blast in a chemical plant in Anhui province killed one and injured 10 others, local authorities said.

The blast occurred around Saturday noon at Anhui Hongsifang Holding Company, a subsidiary of China National Salt Industry Corp in the provincial capital city of Hefei, said company deputy manager Ding Mingzhi.

One worker died after being hospitalized and four others suffered minor injuries, Ding said, adding that six workers were also sent to hospitals for observation due to exposure to toxic gas.

Investigations into the causes of the two accidents are under way.