China chemical blast death toll rises to 44 bbc.com

The death toll in a huge blast at a chemical plant in eastern China has jumped to 44, with 640 injured, according to state news agency Xinhua. The powerful explosion followed a fire at the factory, which produces fertiliser. China's earthquake administration reported a tremor equivalent to 2.2-magnitude at the time of the blast. The death toll makes it one of the country's worst industrial accidents in recent years. The blast happened at about 14:50 local time (06:50 GMT) on Thursday at a plant in Yancheng, run by Tianjiayi Chemical.