Six dead, one seriously injured in central China factory fire

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Six people were confirmed dead and one is in critical condition after a fire broke out in a plastic factory in north China's Hebei Province Sunday afternoon, said Xinhua News Agency.

The fire ripped through a small workshop processing plastic in Huanghua City at around 5:40 p.m. when seven workers were there, the city government said on Monday.

Two people were killed at the scene, while four others died later in the hospital. One was receiving medical treatment and his condition was serious.

The local government had ordered the involved factory to suspend production in April for failing to meet pollution-control requirements. But it still continued operations, ignoring the order.

The head of the factory has been detained and an investigation is underway.

According to a report from the official website of the National People’s Congress (NPC) of China, 66,000 workplace deaths occurred in China in 2015 despite strengthened legislation. The world’s workshop also saw 282,000 workplace accidents in 2015.

Insufficient safety precautions in the workplace remain a major problem.

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