A large blast at an automobile factory in eastern China Saturday killed at least 68 people and injured 187.

The factory supplies some of the biggest auto companies as a subcontractor in the production of wheels, the Wall Street Journal reported.

An investigation suggests that a dust blast caused the explosion early Saturday at the plant, which is just outside Shanghai in the Jiangsu province city of Kunshan. More than 260 people were inside the plant when the blast occurred, and about 44 were killed in the initial blast, while others died afterwards. A report from China suggests that the death toll could rise.

The dust, which is combustible, is an industrial hazard that has led to deaths at a number of factories around the world. According to safety experts, a lack of good ventilation coupled with oxygen, heat and dusty particles, such as pulverized metal, can spark random explosions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an extensive investigation and a "harsh punishment" for those responsible for the blast. According to official news agency Xinhua, Premier Li Keqiang ordered more safety checks to avoid such devastating incidents. He said that State Councilor Wang Yong would head a team to enact more safety standards.

Xinhua said the plant's owner is Zhongrong Metal Production Co. Five executives from the company have been detained and will be questioned, including executive Wu Ji-Tao. Wu is chairman and legal representative of the company's single shareholder, Formosa International Enterprises Ltd., which capitalized the business 16 years ago at $8.8 million.

Photos published by China's state-run media outlets show black smoke flowing from the building as the injured rest near firetrucks. Many victims were taken away on gurneys to receive medical attention.

The blast blew two holes in the building and sent equipment and glass fragments flying.

The plant specialized in post-production preparation of aluminum car wheels before they are shipped to auto makers.

Zhongrong said it formed in 1998 and is a subcontractor to Hebei Province-based Citic Dicastal Wheel Manufacturing Co., one of the biggest car wheel manufacturers in the world. It specializes in electroplating wheel hubs, which is often a polluting process. Electroplating adds chrome to wheels while providing anti-corrosive properties in a process that combines chemicals and electricity -- a dangerous process -- onto another metal.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the agent hexavalent chromium is a hazard in electroplating.

A spokeswoman for General Motors said some of the wheels installed on its cars that are made in China have been processed by Zhongrong because of GM's association with Dicastal.

According to Dicastal's website, its customers include Mitsubishi Motors Corp and Germany's Volkswagen AG.

Global automakers, such as GM and VW, have invested billions in China's auto market, which is booming. Almost 22 million cars were sold in China in the past year, compared to 15.5 million in the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Industrial accidents are common in China and kill tens of thousands every year. Four people were killed last month in a blast at a pharmaceutical maker, which was blamed on the improper storage of alcohol. More than 100 people were also killed in northeast China in 2013 from a fire in a poultry factory.

Apple Co. also suffered two blasts in 2011 at factories that supply electronics for devices, such as the iPhone. One blast killed around 59 people. Apple ordered suppliers to adopt new safety standards to minimize the hazards of dust.

Authorities in China are regularly enacting new regulations to improve factory safety and reduce such tragedies. In June, the Ministry of Public Security said new regulations are being put on firefighting equipment, building materials and the layout of industrial plants.