TAIYUAN: Eight people were killed after an explosion hit a workshop at a biotechnology company in Shanyin County, in the city of Shuozhou in Shanxi province, local authorities said. The blast occurred in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 7, triggering a search operation at the industrial site in northern China. Officials did not immediately release details on what caused the explosion.
Authorities said the death toll was confirmed at eight as of 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8. Earlier official updates had reported seven fatalities and one person missing, before the final victim was confirmed dead. Rescue teams and local emergency personnel carried out on-site operations as officials accounted for all workers and secured the area surrounding the workshop.
The facility is situated in rugged terrain outside the county seat, described by officials as being in a mountain hollow. State media reported that dark yellow smoke was visible above the site in the aftermath of the blast, and cleanup and emergency handling work continued through the weekend. Officials did not provide an estimate for property damage or specify whether nearby buildings were affected.
Local authorities said the company’s legal representative was taken into police custody as part of the response to the incident. The Shuozhou city government formed an accident investigation team to determine the cause and examine whether safety and operational requirements were followed. No findings were announced, and officials did not provide a timeline for completing the investigation.
Investigation launched
The explosion occurred at a workshop operated by a firm identified as Jiapeng Biotechnology, also registered as Shanyin Jiapeng Bio-Technology Co. Ltd. Company registration information shows the business was established in June 2025, making it a relatively new operation. Its registered scope includes research and work related to animal feed and biological feed products, along with coal products and building materials.
Authorities did not disclose how many people were working at the workshop at the time of the explosion, or whether any additional injuries were reported. Officials also did not say whether hazardous materials were stored at the site or if environmental monitoring was conducted after the blast. The investigation team’s mandate includes determining the chain of events that led to the explosion and identifying responsibility.
Emergency response
According to local authorities, rescuers located five workers who had been trapped at the site by late Saturday morning; all were found with no vital signs. The remaining victims were accounted for later as crews continued to search the workshop area and surrounding sections of the facility. Officials said the confirmed death toll reflected the final count after the missing person was located.
The incident adds to renewed scrutiny of industrial safety in China’s manufacturing and processing sectors, where workplace accidents can occur in mining, chemicals, metals and other heavy industries. In this case, authorities have limited public information to the confirmed fatalities, the location of the blast, and the investigative steps now under way. Officials said the cause remains under investigation. – By Content Syndication Services.