Death toll from east China factory blast jumps to 44: state media

Yancheng (China) (AFP) – The death toll from a massive explosion that rocked a chemical plant in eastern China rose to 44, state media said Friday.

According to state-run People’s Daily, 90 others have been seriously injured in Thursday’s blast, which was so powerful it knocked down nearby factory buildings and shattered the windows of surrounding homes, while apparently triggering a small 2.2-magnitude earthquake.