NANNING -- An explosion at a company workshop in the southern Chinese city of Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region killed one person and injured seven others on Thursday, local authorities said.

The blast occurred around 5:40 am in Lingui district, according to the district's emergency management bureau. Three of the injured were severely wounded, while four others sustained minor injuries, but none of them are in life-threatening condition.

Emergency response efforts, including medical treatment for the injured and an investigation into the cause of the accident, are underway.