Death toll rises to 75 in China explosion

A car parts plant in China where 75 workers were killed in an explosion committed multiple violations of regulations, the country's work safety chief says. State Administration of Work Safety head Yang Dongliang said the Taiwanese-invested Zhongrong Metal Products Co factory in Kunshan, near Shanghai, was missing equipment for dust removal. Saturday's blast in the wheel hub polishing workshop happened when dust particles from production came into contact with flames, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The firm manufactured for car companies, including US automaker General Motors (GM). The death toll rose to 75 on Monday, up from 71 on Sunday, with 185 people still receiving treatment for injuries, Xinhua said. State media previously put the number of injured, many with severe burns, at nearly 200. 'The safety production system and measures were incomplete, unimplemented,' Yang told a meeting in Kunshan, a centre for Taiwanese investment. 'There was no cleaning... of accumulated dust every shift at a set time, which caused dust to exceed limits,' he said, adding the company failed to install dust removal equipment at every work station, in violation of regulations. He did not specify what might have ignited the dust, but said machinery at the plant lacked safety devices which might prevent explosions, according to Sky News.com