Rescue operations are under way at the site of an explosion at a biotechnology company in Shuozhou, North China’s Shanxi Province on February, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

An explosion that occurred in the early hours of Saturday at a biotechnology company in Shuozhou, North China’s Shanxi Province has resulted in eight fatalities as of 9:30 am Sunday, and the cause of the incident is still under investigation, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The on-site command center of the accident at the local biotechnology company in Shanyin county has confirmed that the company’s legal representative has been placed under control, and Shuozhou has established an accident investigation team, according to the report.

The company is located in a mountainous area more than 40 kilometers from the county seat. At the accident site, Xinhua reporters saw thick yellowish smoke still billowing, as emergency response and cleanup operations continued.

According to the Beijing Daily, the explosion occurred in a production workshop of the company on Saturday. Following the incident, rescuers launched a full-scale search and rescue operation. By 10 am Saturday, the first round of rescue efforts had found five trapped individuals, all of whom were confirmed dead.

To ensure no one was left unaccounted for, rescuers expanded the search area, conducting a grid-by-grid sweep of the site and surrounding areas, while cross-checking information related to on-site operations and the company’s actual controller. Subsequent rescue efforts led to the discovery of two additional victims in the deeper sections of the workshop ruins and surrounding areas, per Beijing Daily.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, with follow-up handling and support work proceeding simultaneously, CCTV News reported on Saturday.

Global Times