A deafening blast ripped through a fireworks factory in central China's Hunan Province, leaving at least 26 people dead and 61 others injured. The explosion shattered the quiet Monday afternoon in Liuyang, a city famous for its fireworks manufacturing.
Eyewitness footage captured a massive plume of smoke surging into the sky as the shockwave tore through the facility. Other videos showed buildings reduced to piles of rubble while firefighters desperately hosed down smoldering wreckage.
The plant, run by Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co., sits at the heart of a region renowned for pyrotechnics. By Tuesday morning, aerial shots from state television revealed white smoke still billowing from collapsed structures, debris scattered like matchsticks across the site.
Nearly 500 firefighters, rescuers, and medical personnel rushed to the scene. Authorities evacuated danger zones, warning that two black powder warehouses posed extreme risks of further explosions. Robots were deployed to assist the search-and-rescue teams.
Changsha's mayor, Chen Bozhang, told reporters that search operations were largely complete, but verifying casualties and identifying victims remained ongoing. "We feel extremely pained and deeply remorseful," he said, his voice heavy with grief.
Chinese President Xi Jinping immediately called for "all-out efforts" to save the injured and find anyone still unaccounted for. He demanded a thorough investigation, strict accountability, and sweeping risk inspections across key industries. Xi often issues such urgent directives after deadly disasters.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the blast's cause and taken unspecified "control measures" against the company's management. To prevent secondary blasts during the search, rescuers sprayed water and used humidification to neutralize hazards. The sporadic pops of ignited products and semi-finished goods echoed through the ruins as crews worked tirelessly through the night.
