An explosion at a small biotech company in northern China early on Saturday killed eight people, China’s state media reported on Sunday.

The explosion occurred in Shuoyang in the Shanxi province in the early morning of Saturday, state media reported.

The legal representative of Jiapeng Biotechnology has been detained, and the city has set up an accident investigation team, Xinhua news agency reported.

The firm is located in a mountain hollow, and dark yellow smoke was seen billowing from the accident site, Xinhua said.

Reuters was not able to contact the company, which does not maintain a website. The cause of the reported explosion was not immediately clear.

Founded in June 2025, Jiapeng Biotechnology conducts research on animal feed, coal products and building materials, according to its corporate registration.