Six people were killed and three injured in an explosion at a biotechnology company in Xiangcheng city, Henan province, on March 20. The explosion was attributed to illegal production, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management's website.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Xiangcheng Sandeli Biotechnology obtained its factory building through a sublease with another company. Their illegal production practices led to excessive temperatures during the distillation process in a reaction vessel, causing compounds to decompose and explode.

On the same day of the blast, the local emergency management bureau reported that the incident resulted in three people missing and four injured.

Further investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.