Blast at explosives factory in China: 5 dead,20 missing

A blast at an explosives factory in eastern China has killed five people and left another 20 missing. The official Xinhua News Agency said rescue work was continuing at the site of Monday morning8217;s explosion in Shandong province8217;s Caofan township. It said 34 people were inside the factory at the time of the blast,and only 14 of them have been found so far.

The cause of the blast and condition of the other nine people found were not known. The company website said the factory run by the Baoli group manufactures 10,000 tons of industrial explosives annually.

China has sought to tighten access to explosives used for quarrying following a series of attacks by people using homemade bombs. However,safety rules are often ignored and industrial accidents remain common.