An explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, central Hunan province, killed at least 26 people and injured 61 on Monday afternoon. The blast ripped through the Huasheng plant at about 4:40pm local time, damaged buildings across several blocks and left rescue teams searching for the missing. Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a probe and urged officials to hold those responsible to account, while local authorities evacuated nearby areas amid fears of further blasts. Liuyang is a major centre for fireworks production and supplies much of the country's exported and domestic fireworks.
The scale of the damage was visible in footage shared by the People's Daily. Buildings were shown wrecked across multiple city blocks. The newspaper's caption said public security authorities had "taken measures against the person in charge of the company," a wording that suggests criminal action against the company's leadership.
State media said the explosion occurred at about 4:40pm on Monday. Local authorities dispatched emergency personnel to the scene. They evacuated surrounding neighbourhoods because warehouses at the site posed a risk of further explosions. Rescue work continued into Tuesday as teams searched for people who remain unaccounted for.
Government orders and accountability
Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an investigation, Xinhua reported. He said "those responsible must be held accountable," and he urged "all-out efforts to search for people who are still unaccounted for", the state news agency added. Premier Li Qiang also called for a thorough review of workplace safety across regions and departments.
Hunan's provincial government has opened an inquiry. The provincial probe said earlier official counts had understated the scale of the accident.
Local industry and wider effects
Liuyang, a city of about 1.5 million people, supplies most of China's fireworks for export and domestic sales. China Daily has reported that the area produces a large share of the country's fireworks exports and domestic supply.
That concentration means a major accident there can disrupt suppliers and factories across a wide part of the sector.
Officials ordered evacuations around the Huasheng plant because of the danger posed by stored explosives. That step aimed to limit further civilian harm and to enable emergency teams to work without risk from secondary blasts. The local government didn't give a precise count of missing people after the blast.
The last large factory accident in the city took place in 2019; state reporting said it caused multiple deaths and injuries. Authorities have faced criticism before over safety in fireworks production, and the central government's swift response this time signals a move to tighten oversight.
Rescue operations and public response
Rescue personnel have been working on site since Monday evening. State outlets said teams were conducting searches in damaged buildings and checking for hazardous materials in the area. Local hospitals reported receiving dozens of injured people, though officials didn't release a list of names.
The People's Daily video circulated widely on social media, amplifying public concern and prompting statements from officials at both provincial and national level. Public anger over workplace safety has flared before in China after industrial accidents, and central leaders often respond by promising investigations and charges when local management or officials are blamed.
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Xi Jinping ordered an investigation and said "those responsible must be held accountable," Xinhua said.
This article was created with AI assistance.
