Aerial photo taken on March 22, 2019 shows the site of an explosion at a chemical industrial park in Xiangshui County of Yancheng, East China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo: VCG)

Police have taken three people into custody for in connection with the deadly chemical explosion in Xiangshui county, Yancheng, East China’s Jiangsu Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The Jiangsu Tianjiayi Chemical Company was hit by a massive explosion on March 21, killing 78 people.

The local public security bureau has launched an investigation and held three people of the company, according to a notice released by the Xiangshui goverment on its WeChat account.

(Compiled by Huang Jingjing)