AKIPRESS.COM - The death toll in a huge blast at a chemical plant in eastern China has jumped to 44, with 640 injured, according to state news agency Xinhua, BBC reports.

The powerful explosion followed a fire at the factory, which produces fertiliser.

China's earthquake administration reported a tremor equivalent to 2.2-magnitude at the time of the blast.

The death toll makes it one of the country's worst industrial accidents in recent years.

The blast happened at about 14:50 local time (06:50 GMT) on Thursday at a plant in Yancheng, run by Tianjiayi Chemical.

According to Xinhua, a total of 640 people were sent to hospital. Some 32 are in a critical condition and 58 have severe injuries, the agency reports.