At least seven people were killed and 13 others have received treatment for injuries after an explosion at a fireworks factory in central China’s Hunan province, local authorities said in a statement.
The explosion occurred at around 7:50 a.m. Wednesday at Bixi Fireworks Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in Liuyang, a city widely regarded as the birthplace of firecrackers in China. An unspecified number of the company’s representatives and investors are being held in police custody for the “illegal production” of fireworks, the statement added.
Local authorities have formed a team to investigate the incident and vowed to monitor all fireworks-producing companies in the province.
In recent years, China has strengthened supervision over explosives nationwide, citing safety concerns. Hundreds of Chinese cities have also restricted the sale and use of fireworks during Lunar New Year celebrations in a bid to curb air pollution. In February, five people in the southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were killed in an explosion at a shop suspected of illegally storing and selling fireworks and firecrackers. (Image: @新浪新闻 from Weibo)