Firemen try to put out fire at the scene of an explosion in northern Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, July 28, 2010. [Xinhua]

A powerful explosion at a factory in eastern China's Jiangsu Province Wednesday left at least five people dead and 28 seriously injured, the local government said.

Officials of the government of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu, told a press conference in the afternoon that five people were killed and 28 others suffered serious injuries after the blast ripped through an abandoned plastics factory in northern Nanjing.

More than 100 others have been taken to hospital.

However, Xinhua reporters had seen at least six people recorded as dead at hospitals treating people injured in the blast.

Local media said more than 300 people had been sent to hospitals and at least 50 people were seriously injured.

The blast, suspected to be caused by a gas leak at the Nanjing No. 4 Plastics Factory in Qixia District, went off at about 10:15 AM, said an official with the city government.

Media reports said workers might have cut a pipeline while dismantling the factory buildings.

There was a propylene pipeline and a gas pipeline going through the area and investigators are trying to find out which one exploded, according to reports in local media.

Buildings and vehicles within a 100-meter radius of the factory were seriously damaged.

The explosion hit a bus that was passing the area, injuring many passengers.

The area has been cordoned off.

Media reports said a man was hit by a falling ceiling when he was sleeping at home. He died later in hospital.

Fire-fighters have brought the blaze in the factory building under control. Rescuers are searching for people in the debris.

Local residents said they felt a tremor and heard a loud noise, and many fled from buildings thinking it was an earthquake.

Some hospitals have had to evacuate rooms to treat injured people. Ambulances are ferrying the injured from the plant to hospitals.

Nanjing Gulou Hospital had received about 80 people by midday mainly suffering head injuries, fractures and burns, said Ding Yitao, president of the hospital. Many residents had voluntarily driven the injured to the hospital, he said.

Many hospitals have almost run out of blood stocks, particularly type A and type O. Many local residents are rushing to a mobile blood collection vehicle parked at a square near the site to donate blood.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2010)