The death toll from a poultry processing plant fire in northeast China's Jilin Province has risen to 120 and the enterprise's manager has been held, according to the State Administration of Work Safety.

The fire broke out at 6:06 a.m on. Monday in a slaughterhouse owned by the Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company in Mishazi Township of Dehui City, about 100 km northeast of the provincial capital Changchun.

Over 300 workers were in the plant when the fire began. About 100 workers have managed to escape from the plant, the gate of which was locked when the fire broke out.

Established in September 2009, Jilin Baoyuanfeng Poultry Company has 1,200 employees and an annual output amounting to 67,000 tonnes of chicken products.