Death toll in Hunan fireworks factory blast rises to 37

BEIJING: The death toll from a fireworks factory explosion in China’s southern Hunan province has climbed to 37, while one person remains missing, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The blast took place at about 4:40pm (0840 GMT) on Monday in Liuyang, a city in Hunan that is widely known as China’s fireworks capital. Liuyang produces 60% of China’s domestic fireworks supply and about 70% of the country’s exports.

Xinhua said the latest toll marked an increase from the previously reported 26 deaths. On-site research and rescue operations had been completed, while 51 people were receiving treatment in hospitals.

The explosion is the deadliest such incident reported in China since 2019. State media said an investigation had been launched into the cause of the blast, and police had summoned eight people for questioning on suspicion of causing the deadly explosion.

The inquiry is being overseen by China’s top prosecutors. Authorities in Hunan have also ordered all fireworks factories in Liuyang to halt operations so that safety inspections can be carried out.

Investigation and safety response

The official response has focused on both the rescue effort and the subsequent investigation. Xinhua reported that field work at the site had concluded, indicating that emergency teams had completed their search and rescue activity at the factory.

State media said police had called in eight individuals for questioning as part of the investigation. The same reports said the case was being supervised by the country’s top prosecutorial authorities, while local officials moved to suspend operations across all fireworks plants in the city pending safety checks.

Recent industrial accidents

The Hunan explosion follows another fireworks factory blast in the province in June, which killed nine people.

China’s deadliest industrial blast in recent years remains the 2019 explosion at a chemical plant in the eastern province of Jiangsu, where 78 people were killed.

The latest explosion in Liuyang has again drawn attention to industrial safety in a city that plays a central role in China’s fireworks production for both domestic use and export markets.