Explosion in Chinese port city of Ningbo claims lives of 2 people -PHOTO

An explosion, which took place in China’s eastern port city of Ningbo earlier in the day, has claimed the lives of two people, while two others remain in critical condition, local police wrote on their official page on the Weibo social network, Sputnik reported.

Earlier in the day, the blast occurred at a plant in Jiangbei District at around 8:50 local time [00:50 GMT] and destroyed some buildings, the CGTN broadcaster reported, citing the city’s fire department.

Over 30 people were previously hospitalized with injuries following the blast in Ningbo, which is located in China's Zhejiang province, according to the broadcaster.

The firefighters are working at the scene, while the local police are investigating the incident. The reasons of the blast still unknown. According to local authorities, the plant building was uninhabited, but at the time of the explosion, many people were working in it and in the area nearby. A shock wave blasted out the windows of neighboring houses.