Key points
- Blast took place in Hunan province of China
- Rescue efforts are underway in site
- Efforts must be made to ascertain the cause of the explosion as soon as possible: Officials
ISLAMABAD: An explosion at a fireworks factory in central China killed nine people and injured 26 others, Chinese official media reported on Tuesday, as challenging on-site rescue work continued a day after the incident.
The blast took place shortly before 8:30 am Monday at a factory in a village outside Changde, a city in Hunan province, state-run China National Radio (CNR) reported.
AFP cited CNR as saying as of 9:00 am on Tuesday, nine people were dead and 26 injured.
Rescue work at the scene was ongoing, according to CNR, noting a “complicated” situation and the risk of additional explosions hampering response efforts.
“Mountainous area”
Adding to the challenge, the site was in a “mountainous area with no large water source”, CNR stated.
“During more than 20 hours of uninterrupted and continuous rescue, the rescue team used remote-controlled water cannons to extinguish the fire,” according to AFP.
State news agency Xinhua reported that the Ministry of Emergency Management had sent a working team to Hunan to oversee the rescue.
“Efforts must be made to ascertain the cause of the explosion as soon as possible and to hold those responsible accountable,” the ministry said, Xinhua reported.
Last month, an explosion at a chemical plant in the eastern province of Shandong killed at least five people.
In 2015, blasts at warehouses containing flammable chemicals in the port city of Tianjin killed more than 170 people and injured 700 others.
