Factory explosion in China kills two, injures 84

A huge explosion at a factory in northern China has killed two people and injured 84 others, with five people still missing, state media reported.

The blast happened at around 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT) Sunday at Baogang United Steel plant in Inner Mongolia, causing noticeable tremors in the area.

Footage online showed the explosion sending large plumes of smoke into the sky, while the ground was littered with debris, including collapsed ceilings and pipes.

Five among the dozens hospitalised suffered serious injuries, state media reported. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast.

Baogang United Steel is a major state-owned iron and steel enterprise.

China has a long history of industrial accidents, from factory explosions and mine collapses to mudslides.

In 2015, two massive explosions in the port of Tianjin killed 173 people, leaving hundreds more injured and devastating large areas of the city.

In May last year, an explosion in a chemical plant in the eastern province of Shandong killed five people and injured at least 19. The blast ripped the windows of building nearby from their hinges.