An explosion on Saturday at a biotech factory in northern China has left at least seven people dead, Chinese state media reported.

One person was missing after the explosion at the Jiapeng biotech company in Shanxi province, Xinhua news agency said early Sunday, citing local authorities.

The company is located in Shanyin County, about 400 kilometers west of Beijing.

Xinhua said search and rescue operations were continuing at the site.

The explosion occurred on early Saturday morning and its cause was under investigation.

Industrial accidents are common in China due to lax safety standards.

In late January, an explosion at a steel factory in the neighbouring province of Inner Mongolia left at least nine people dead.