In China, 26 people were killed and 61 others injured in an explosion at a fireworks plant in central Hunan province. The blast occurred yesterday afternoon at the facility of Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang. More than 480 rescuers, organised into five teams, have been deployed, along with three rescue robots. The injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment. 

 

As the explosion site is located near two black powder warehouses, authorities evacuated nearby residents and established a buffer zone to prevent a secondary blast. Rescue teams also evacuated people within a three-kilometre radius of the plant. A second round of search operations is currently underway.

 

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched experts to the site to oversee rescue operations. The person in charge of the company has been detained, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a thorough investigation and strict accountability. Liuyang city, where the incident occurred, is known as a major centre for fireworks production and is considered the world’s largest producer of fireworks.