Death Toll Rises To 23 In China Factory Blast

The death toll from a massive blast at an explosives plant in eastern China has risen to 23 with 10 people still missing. The official Xinhua News Agency said on Wednesday that 19 others were injured by the explosion, which ripped through the plant in Shandong province on Monday. Experts from the State Administration of Work Safety are investigating the cause of the explosion. China has sought to tighten access to explosives used for quarrying following a series of attacks by people using homemade bombs. However, safety rules are often ignored and industrial accidents remain common.—AP