Nine employees were confirmed dead after an explosion rocked a chemical plant in east China's Shandong Province on Wednesday.

An explosion rocked a chemical plant in east China's Shandong Province on Oct.21. [Photo/youth.cn]

The blast ripped through 401 workshop at Shandong Tianbao Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. in Pingyi County, Linyi City at around 8 a.m.

The rescue work ended at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with search and rescue experts confirming the nine fatalities. DNA testing is under way to confirm the bodies belong to the 26-year-old woman and eight men aged between 24 and 41, who are missing.

Two people in a neighboring workshop were injured. One escaped with minor injuries, while the other is in a serious, but not life threatening, condition.

The company, founded in 1958, is a designated manufacturer of explosive materials for civil use.

The investigation into the cause of the explosion continues.

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