TAIYUAN -- Four people were confirmed dead in a coking plant gas explosion in north China's Shanxi Province on Saturday, the local government said.

The accident happened at around 12:30 p.m., when workers were examining and repairing a coke furnace in the No. 1 Coking Factory of the Yongxin Coal Chemical Co Ltd in Anze County. A blast induced by gas leak during the process killed three people on site.

Another person died of injuries when being rushed to the Heping Hospital attached to the Changzhi Medical College, while 31 others, including one seriously injured, are still being treated at the hospital, according to the local government.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.