(260119) -- BAOTOU, Jan. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 19, 2026 shows an excavator working at the site of an explosion at a factory in Baotou, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. An explosion at a factory in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has killed two people, left eight missing and injured 84, local authorities said Monday.
The explosion occurred at 3:03 p.m. on Sunday at a plate plant of Baogang United Steel in western Baotou City. It was caused by the blast of a 650-cubic-meter saturated water and steam spherical tank, Lin Li, executive vice mayor of Baotou, told a press briefing on Monday.
All the injured are in stable condition, and medical treatment is underway by leading medical experts of the autonomous region.
A rescue operation is in full swing, with an emergency rescue headquarters established after the accident to coordinate emergency, fire control, public security, health and market supervision departments. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
