Liuyang, China. A blast at a fireworks factory in Liuyang in central China’s Hunan province killed at least 26 people and injured 61, flattening buildings and sending thick smoke into the sky, state media reported on Tuesday. President Xi Jinping ordered a thorough investigation.
Rescue and response
More than 1,500 firefighters, rescuers, medical personnel and police were deployed, along with drones and three robots, to search for survivors and control on-site hazards after the explosion on Monday at a factory compound in Liuyang, which is known as China’s fireworks capital.
Authorities evacuated surrounding areas because of the risk posed by highly combustible black powder stored in two warehouses in the complex, according to Xinhua.
Timing and location
The explosion occurred at about 4:40 p.m. (0840 GMT) at Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company, according to Xinhua and CCTV.
Social media footage showed smoke billowing into clear skies against a backdrop of green mountains. Reuters verified the location in the footage posted on May 4 as Changsha, the Hunan provincial capital responsible for the administration of Liuyang.
Scene and damage
A Hunan Satellite TV reporter at the scene said the area had been razed to the ground, with trees uprooted by shock waves from the blasts, and a strong smell of gunpowder in the air.
Xinhua video showed thick black and grey smoke rising from a site littered with collapsed buildings and debris.
Prior incidents
China has experienced industrial and fireworks-related accidents in the past. In June last year, an explosion at a fireworks factory in Hunan province killed nine people and injured 26.
An explosion at a chemical plant in northeastern China killed at least five people weeks later, drawing attention to risks associated with storing hazardous and flammable materials in factories or warehouses.
What measures, if any, should be taken to reduce the risk of storing hazardous materials at industrial sites?