Pressurized container thought to be cause of explosion at food dye plant

An explosion killed two workers and injured 26 others at a food dye factory in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, on Tuesday.

A three-story workshop collapsed following the blast at 1:24 pm at Wuhan Lucheng Biotechnology in the city's Jiangxia district.

Video footage from a surveillance camera shows a ball of fire bursting through the building's roof scattering debris into the air. Shortly afterwards, a man is seen running out of the workshop.

Firefighters clean up debris at the site of an explosion at a factory in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on Tuesday.

The blast, which is believed to have been caused by a pressurized reaction kettle used in manufacturing, occurred during a changeover in shifts.

A statement released by the emergency response office of Jiangxia district said the injured workers were taken to three hospitals for treatment. Two were in serious condition.

A firefighter surnamed Li said rescue services were busy throughout the afternoon searching for survivors among the debris.

A man surnamed Hu who lives near the factory said the windows of his seventh-floor apartment were broken by the power of the explosion.

The Lucheng factory, which produces a coloring agent used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, employs 56 workers.

A reaction kettle is a container in which raw materials are heated, distilled and cooled.

The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.

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