16 injured in iron factory blast in northern Japan

A furnace exploded Tuesday morning at an iron factory in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, leaving 16 people injured and prompting nearby residents and workers to evacuate the area for fear of further blasts, police and firefighters said.The 16 people were all taken to hospital, with one man suffering serious burns in the 8:30 a.m. blast at Hiyama Iron Works Co., they said. The factory was in operation at the time of the explosion.The blast shattered windows of the iron factory and left a hole in one of its walls, the police said.According to the police, six or seven workers were near the furnace used t…READ FULL ARTICLE