Ten workers were injured, two seriously, in an explosion early Wednesday morning at a mobile phone component factory in Ohira, Miyagi Prefecture, police said.
The 10 injured, including Japanese-Brazilian workers, were rushed to hospitals in Sendai and Furukawa, Miyagi Prefecture, following the explosion, which occurred at about 5 a.m. in a workshop, police and firefighters said.
The explosion shattered windows in the work area, they said.
Police suspect magnesium powder in the plant ignited and exploded while about 40 workers were using machines to polish mobile phone frames made of magnesium alloy.
The workers had been there since 8 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
The factory is located in an industrial area near Sendai.