Four dead in food factory explosion in Beijing

Four people were killed and 10 injured in a blast at a food processing factory in northern Beijing on Tuesday.

The explosion erupted just after 3pm at a factory owned by Japanese company Kyo-Nichi Todai Foods in the township of Niulanshan.

The Shunyi district government, which oversees the area, said two people died at the scene and two others died later in hospital. Ten others were being treated but they did not have life-threatening injuries, the government said, adding that an investigation was under way.

Founded in 1987, Kyo-Nichi specialises in processing various fruit and vegetable fillings.

The factory produces about 70,000 tonnes a year for export to Japan, Southeast Asia and the United States, according to the company’s website.