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Factory Explosion In China Kills At Least 65

A preliminary investigation suggested the explosion, which killed at least 65 people, was caused by dust that ignited inside the plant.
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​​Scores of people are dead from a factory explosion Saturday morning in eastern China.​ (Via Getty Images

Images from the scene show black smoke still billowing from the plant. According to state media, at least 65 were killed and more than 100 others were injured in the blast. (Via Euronews)

The factory, which is located in east China's Jiangsu Province, reportedly supplies parts to big international automakers like General Motors and Volkswagen. (Via ITN

According to the ruling Communist Party's main newspaper, over 200 workers were on duty at the time of the explosion. (Via Twitter / @PDChina)

State-run outlet  Xinhua cites unnamed government officials who say a preliminary investigation found the blast may have been caused by "dust which ignited inside the workshop.”

The tragedy again places the spotlight on China’s worker safety regulations and its long history of industrial accidents.

According to The Economist: “The enforcement of China’s work-safety measures haslagged behind the growth of its economy, now the world’s second-largest … In 2012 workplace accidents killed over 70,000 people.”

In one of China’s deadliest factory accidents in recent years, 100 died from an explosion at a poultry plant in 2013. (Via The New York Times

Workplace deaths are especially common in China's coal mining industry. According to government figures, in 2013 alone, over 1,000 workers were killed or missing in such accidents. (Via Getty Images

In this latest deadly disaster, state media reports authorities have detained five people from the factory but haven't released further information as to why.