College lab explosion caused by suspected theft

An explosion that killed one person and injured three others at an East Chinauniversity on Tuesday was allegedly caused by workers attempting to steal lab materials, auniversity spokesman said on Wednesday.

The blast occurred at 9 am in a disused laboratory at the Nanjing University of Science andTechnology in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, destroying the lab and shattering windowsin nearby homes.

It is thought to have happened while five workers were using a flame cutting machine to incisethe gate of Lab 319, said Gong Zaichun, spokesman for the university, at a press conference.

The workers, hired by the university to demolish another lab, are suspected of attempting tosteal the metal materials stored in Lab 319, Gong said.

Both labs were owned by the university's chemical industry college.

It remains unclear what material had triggered the explosion, and police are still investigatingthe case.