Two people were killed and 24 others injured on Saturday in an explosion at a factory in northern China's Jilin Province.
The local government said at least 41 houses were damaged by the blast and the subsequent fire at the machinery factory, which began after midnight on Friday.
Authorities did not say the cause of the explosion, but officials said they ruled out it was "a terrorist act," Reuters reported.
Rescue efforts continued until Saturday morning, when residents were evacuated from the area. Dozens of police, firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene.
China has vowed to improve factory security, although explosions and other incidents are rampant due to non-enforcement of laws.
Last August, five people were killed in an explosion at an aluminum factory in the eastern city of Jiangsu. In July, 19 people were killed in an explosion at a chemical plant in southwestern Sichuan Province.
