HOHHOT, March 19 (Xinhua) -- An explosion at a nitration facility in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has left three people injured and two others missing, local authorities said on Thursday.

The blast occurred at 11:49 a.m. on Thursday, with local police, firefighters and emergency response teams swiftly arriving at the site to conduct search and rescue missions. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation. ■