An explosion at a steel factory in northern China has killed two people, injured 66 others and left five missing, according to state media.
The blast occurred at about 3:00 pm on Sunday at a Baogang United Steel plate plant in Baotou, in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, the state news agency Xinhua reported. By 5:30 pm, local emergency management and fire services had confirmed two deaths, with five people still unaccounted for.
Authorities said 66 injured individuals were taken to hospital, including three in critical condition.
Videos circulating on social media showed collapsed ceilings, scattered debris and thick plumes of smoke rising above the factory, with fire engines stationed at the scene. Other footage appeared to show an object hurled into the air during the explosion and a large cylindrical piece of metal lying amid the rubble.
Residents several kilometres away reported that the blast shook buildings and shattered windows.
Officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the explosion as rescue operations continue.
Industrial accidents remain frequent in China, often linked to weak safety enforcement. In June, an explosion at a fireworks factory in Hunan province killed nine people and injured 26 others. In 2015, massive blasts at a chemical warehouse in the port city of Tianjin claimed more than 170 lives and wounded hundreds.