Three arrested for deadly factory blast

Three senior managers of a factory rocked by a deadly explosion in east China's Jiangsu province this month have been arrested.

According to a statement from the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Wednesday, the Kunshan City Procuratorate of Jiangsu province approved the arrest of Wu Chi-tao, chairman of the Taiwanese-invested Kunshan Zhongrong Metal Products Co., Ltd, along with the company's general manager and a manager in charge of the workplace safety.

They are suspected of criminal liability for the explosion, the statement said.

Under China's Criminal Law, the three may face a prison term up to seven years if they are convicted.

The blast on Aug. 2 gutted a wheel hub polishing workshop owned by Zhongrong in Kunshan, killing 75 people and injuring over 180.

A preliminary investigation found that the explosion occurred following the ignition of excessive metal dust in the workshop. It is believed that serious dereliction of duty was behind the accident.