China sends task force after deadly explosion in Inner Mongolia

A task force from China's Ministry of Emergency Management has been dispatched to Baotou in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to guide rescue and response efforts after an explosion that killed at least two people and injured 84 others, the ministry said on Monday.

The blast occurred Sunday afternoon at a rare earth steel plate factory operated by Baogang United Steel. As of 6 am Monday, two people had died, eight were missing and 84 were injured, according to a ministry statement.

The State Council Work Safety Commission has placed the investigation under a "listed supervision" mechanism, signaling heightened oversight.

After receiving the initial report, Emergency Management Minister Wang Xiangxi ordered immediate rescue operations, verification of personnel numbers and measures to prevent secondary accidents, the ministry said. He also called for all-out efforts to treat the injured and minimize casualties, and urged a prompt investigation into the cause of the explosion.