Four workers were killed in a quarry blast in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The accident happened at 9:50 AM on Friday, when five people were working in a quarry belonging to the Fuyuan mining company of the Araxan League in the western part of the region. One man was attaching a wick to dynamite when it exploded.

Three workers were killed at the scene, while one who was seriously injured died on the way to the hospital. The fifth worker, who was the farthest from the dynamite, managed to escape, said an official surnamed Tian with the Araxan safety administrative bureau.

Police have detained the owner of the quarry and were investigating whether it had legal licenses for operation.

The cause of the blast is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2009)