Hunan fireworks factory blast kills 21, injures 61; Xi orders probe, state media say
A deadly explosion at a fireworks factory in China’s Hunan province has killed 21 people and injured 61, prompting President Xi Jinping to call for a thorough investigation and strict accountability, state media said on Tuesday. The blast struck on Monday at around 4:40 p.m.
(0840 GMT) in Liuyang, a county-level city under the administration of Changsha and a major hub for fireworks manufacturing, according to reports by CCTV and Xinhua. Video from the scene showed towering plumes of smoke rising above rugged, green hills and a large industrial site strewn with collapsed buildings and debris.
Rescue operations were mounted at scale. Xinhua reported that five teams—nearly 500 personnel in total—along with three rescue robots were deployed, using a “human–machine coordinated approach” to conduct grid-style searches. Two black powder storage warehouses inside the compound were flagged as high-risk hazards.
Authorities evacuated nearby residents, set up a 1 km rescue area and established a 3 km control zone. State media identified the facility as Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company. The person in charge of the company has been detained, and the cause of the accident is under investigation, China Daily reported.
Xi urged a speedy determination of the cause and directed officials to strengthen risk screening and hazard control in key industries, improve public safety, and ensure the protection of people’s lives and property. He frequently issues “important instructions” after deadly accidents; last week, he called for a nationwide upgrade of China’s disaster response capacity.
He also issued instructions after a fire tore through several residential towers in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court complex in November, killing 168 people. China exported $1.14 billion worth of fireworks last year, accounting for more than two-thirds of global sales, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
The investigation into the Liuyang blast is ongoing, state media said.