China steel factory owners held after blast kills six

Chinese police have detained those in charge of a steel factory in the Inner Mongolia region after an explosion killed six people and left 84 others hospitalised, state media said.

The death toll rose to six during the day on Monday as rescuers searched for the missing.

The Xinhua news agency said four more people remained unaccounted-for.

The blast at a Baogang United Steel plant in the city of Baotou at 3pm on Sunday caused tremors in the surrounding area and sent a massive cloud of white smoke skyward.

A pressurised storage tank designed to hold steam and high-temperature water exploded, city officials said.

Baogang United Steel is a major state-owned company.

with Reuters