Death toll climbs to 16 in China factory blast

The death toll in Tuesday's chemical plant explosion in China has climbed to 16, and 43 others were hospitalized with injuries, authorities in north China's Hebei Province said. The blast ripped through Hebei Keeperchemical Industries Co., Ltd in Zhaoxian county on Tuesday morning, according to China's (Xinhua) News Agency. It flattened one of the factory's workshops and shattered window panes within a radius of 2,000 meters, witnesses and local government officials said. Dozens more were feared missing or dead at the scene, according to Zhaoxian county's deputy chief Wu Haijiang. Wu said about 100 people were at work when the blast happened. But the emergency rescue headquarters were forced to halt search and rescue Tuesday night, fearing further blasts might cause more fatalities, he said. Rescue work resumed Wednesday morning. The chemical plant was founded in 2005, with an investment of 217 million yuan about (34.5 million US dollars).