ISTANBUL

Eight people were confirmed dead by 9.30 am (0130GMT) on Sunday following an explosion at a biotech factory in Shanxi Province, northern China, the previous day, local officials said.

The blast occurred on Saturday at a workshop belonging to Jiapeng Biotech in Shanyin County, Shuozhou City, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Authorities have apprehended the company's legal representative and formed an investigation team to look into the incident.

Earlier on Saturday, Xinhua reported that five people were killed in the incident.