TAIYUAN, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Eight people had been confirmed dead as of 9:30 a.m. Sunday in Saturday's biotech factory blast in north China's Shanxi Province, local authorities confirmed.

The explosion occurred at a workshop of the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanyin County, Shuozhou City.

The legal representative of the company has been placed under control, and an investigation team has been established.