Factory explosion in China’s Inner Mongolia region kills 2 and hospitalizes 84

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese police detained those in charge of a steel factory in the Inner Mongolia region after an explosion on Sunday killed two people and left 84 others hospitalized. Eight other people remain unaccounted for.

A pressurized storage tank designed to hold steam and high-temperature water exploded in the factory, Baotou city officials said Monday.

The blast occurred at a Baogang United Steel plant in the city of Baotou around 3 p.m. local time Sunday and caused tremors in the surrounding areas. A rescue team was searching for the eight people who are missing, said a representative of the Baotou city’s Information Office at a news conference on Monday morning.

Baogang United Steel is a major state-owned company, according to state media.