NANJING - Three people were killed and two were missing in an explosion at a factory in Nantong, east China's Jiangsu province, early Sunday, according to local authorities.

The explosion took place at 2:11 am at a workshop of the Asia-Pacific Light Alloy (Nantong) Technology Co Ltd in the economic and technological development zone in Hai'an, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Nantong, said the Hai'an emergency management bureau.

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Search and rescue efforts are underway.