An explosion on a chemical ship killed two people and injured four in east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday.

The ship, loaded with about 120 tons of carbon dioxide, sank immediately after the explosion at about 7:50 AM at a dock in Tangqi Township, Yuhang District, in the provincial capital Hangzhou, said a spokesman with the Hangzhou Municipal Fire Control Brigade.

Two sailors aboard the ship died at the scene, and four people on nearby ships and on the dock were injured, he said.

"One of the injured people has left hospital, and three others are being treated at the Yuhang District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and are in stable condition," he said.

The local maritime affairs authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2008)