At least 32 workers were confirmed dead and two others injured on Wednesday morning in a steel plant accident in northeast China's Liaoning Province, local work safety authorities said.

The accident occurred at 7:45 AM in a workshop of the Qinghe Special Steel Corporation in Tieling City when a steel ladle -- used for pouring molten steel -- suddenly sheared off from the blast furnace and fell onto workers below, spilling molten metal.

The investigation is underway.

(Xinhua News Agency April 18, 2007)