Changsha, May 8: The death toll from a devastating explosion at a fireworks plant in Hunan Province, China, has tragically increased to 37. According to local officials, one person remains missing, and 51 others have sustained injuries.
As reported by the Xinhua News Agency, five of the injured are in critical condition. The explosion occurred at 4:43 PM local time on Monday and is considered the largest blast in the region since 2019.
Liu Yang, known as the fireworks capital of China, produces 60% of the domestic supply and nearly 70% of the exports of these devices.
In 2019, a major explosion at a chemical plant in Jiangsu Province resulted in approximately 78 fatalities.
Following the incident in Liu Yang, Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing has been dispatched to monitor the situation. Zhang stated that the State Council, China’s cabinet, will establish an investigation team to determine the causes of the accident and ensure criminal accountability.
Zhang has pledged to punish fireworks manufacturers who violate safety regulations, as well as regulators who impose fines instead of properly overseeing companies.
The oldest victim was 68 years old, while the youngest was around 20. Most of the injured have been taken to Liu Yang People’s Hospital and Liu Yang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for emergency treatment.
Previously, Liu Jiayong, Secretary of the Health Commission in Changsha, mentioned that six of the injured are in intensive care.
Chen noted that the search and rescue operations at the site are largely complete, involving over 1,500 personnel from fire, emergency response, public security, and health departments.
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