214 factories suspended after Kunshan blast

NANJING - Authorities in Suzhou City of east China's Jiangsu province have suspended production in 214 factories in a safety overhaul after an explosion in a local factory left 75 people dead and 185 others injured last week.

The blast gutted a wheel hub polishing workshop owned by the Taiwanese-invested Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products Co., Ltd. in Kunshan City on Saturday morning.

An investigation led by Yang Dongliang, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, into the blast has concluded that there was "very serious dereliction of duty," given the excessive metal dust inside the workshop, which was ignited by flames and caused the explosion.

The suspended factories were found to suffer the same safety risk of dust pollution, the municipal government said on Wednesday.

Saying that the accident in Kunshan revealed broader work safety loopholes, the State Council Work Safety Commission on Monday ordered a safety campaign targeting factories that process aluminum, magnesium, coal, wood, paper, tobacco, cotton and plastic, among other materials considered potential ignition sources.