Factory Explosion Kills Two In Northern China

An explosion at a steel plate factory in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China killed two people and injured 84 others, three of them critically. Authorities said the blast was caused by the rupture of a water and steam tank at the facility. The Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Association reported that eight people remain missing. Officials said environmental monitoring found no impact on air or soil conditions. An investigation into the cause of the explosion is underway.