A fire at a factory in Anyang, China, has left 38 people dead and two more in hospital, authorities said on Tuesday.

Local officials said the fire broke out on Monday afternoon and took four hours to extinguish.

It was initially unclear what had caused the blaze at the industrial park in China's central Henan province, though later on Tuesday, media reports suggested electric welding that flouted regulations was responsible.

Authorities said "criminal suspects" had been taken into custody in connection with the fire, but did not provide further details.

Online listings for the company that owned the factory, Kaixinda Trading, said it was a wholesaler dealing in industrial goods and "specialized chemicals."

Heavy emergency response 

More than 200 search and rescue workers and 60 firefighters responded at the scene, according to state media.

"After receiving the alarm, the municipal fire rescue detachment immediately dispatched forces to the scene," state broadcaster CCTV reported.

"Public security, emergency response, municipal administration, and power supply units rushed to the scene at the same time to carry out emergency handling and rescue work."

The fire is a reminder of industrial accidents in recent years. In March 2019, an explosion at a chemical factory in Yancheng killed 78 people and devastated homes in a radius of several kilometers.

Before that, in 2015, a giant explosion at a chemical warehouse in Tianjin killed 165 people, in one of China's worst-ever industrial disasters.

jsi, zc/wmr (AP, AFP, dpa)