Explosion at Huasheng Fireworks Plant in Changsha, Hunan Kills 26, Injures 61

An explosion at a fireworks plant in central China killed at least 26 people and injured 61 others, state media reported Tuesday, after the blast occurred at a plant in Changsha city of Hunan province on Monday afternoon.

“At least 21 people were killed and 61 injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory in central China”

ABC

Xinhua said the blast occurred at a plant in Changsha city of Hunan province on Monday afternoon, and China Daily said the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. in the Changsha-administered, county-level city of Liuyang.

ABC

CCTV reported the explosion occurred Monday around 4:43 p.m. (10:43 a.m. Paris time) at the Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company plant, and other outlets placed the time at around 4:40pm or 4:40pm local time.

The blast prompted authorities to halt all firework manufacturing near the site, and CCTV said all fireworks manufacturers in Changsha, which supplies Liuyang, were ordered to suspend production while safety inspections were conducted.

The Guardian described the blast as occurring in the city of Changsha in Hunan province on Monday afternoon, with Xinhua reporting the deaths and injuries.

AP reported that the explosion occurred at a fireworks plant in the city of Changsha in Hunan province on Monday afternoon, and that hundreds of rescuers were deployed and residents in danger zones were evacuated.

Across the accounts, state media also tied the emergency response to risks from stored materials, with Xinhua reporting high risks from two black powder warehouses near the explosion site.

The reported death toll changed as rescue and verification continued, with multiple outlets describing an initial lower figure that later rose to 26.

BFM said an initial toll put the death toll at 21, and that the mayor of Changsha, Chen Bozhang, said on Tuesday at a news conference that five people had died, raising the initial toll.

Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera said Xi’s order came a day after the explosion at the Huasheng fireworks plant in Liuyang, a city of 1.5 million in central Hunan province, killing at least 26 people and injuring 61.

The South China Morning Post reported that the death toll from the fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan province had risen to 26, and it said six of the 61 people injured were in intensive care.

The Guardian also said the explosion killed at least 26 people and injured 61, and it quoted Chen Bozhang describing the search and rescue operation as largely completed while verification and identification were under way.

CBS News said search and rescue operations at the scene have largely been completed, but verification of the casualties and identification of the victims was still underway.

Even where the totals matched, the accounts differed on the timing of the blast, with Al Jazeera citing about 4:40pm local time (08:40 GMT) on Monday and BFM and other outlets citing around 4:43 p.m. on Monday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered an investigation and called for “all-out efforts” after the blast, with state media attributing multiple directives to him.

Al Jazeera reported that Xi’s order on Tuesday came a day after the explosion at the Huasheng fireworks plant in Liuyang and said Xi urged “those responsible must be held accountable” and “urged all-out efforts to search for people who are still unaccounted for”.

BFM said Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to treat the injured, search for the missing, and hold those responsible to account, citing Xinhua.

CBS News said Xi Jinping urged "all-out efforts" to search for people who are still unaccounted for and save the injured, and it added that he called on authorities to investigate the cause swiftly and pursue serious accountability.

The Guardian said Xi urged “all-out efforts” to search for people who were still unaccounted for and to save the injured, and it said he called on authorities to investigate the cause swiftly and pursue accountability.

AP reported that Xi Jinping urged “all-out efforts” to search for people who are still unaccounted for and to save the injured, and it said he ordered effective risk screening and hazard control in key industries and the strengthening of public safety management.

The Independent quoted Chen Bozhang’s apology language, including “We feel extremely sad and extremely guilty,” and it described emergency crews spraying water to reduce the chance of further accidents.

State media and multiple outlets described a large emergency response and specific measures to manage hazards at the site, including evacuations and controls around black powder warehouses.

Al Jazeera said the local government dispatched 482 emergency personnel to the scene and evacuated the neighbouring area due to the risk of further explosions at the factory’s warehouses.

Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat

BFM said more than 480 rescuers were deployed to the scene and that People near the area were evacuated, while CCTV said smoldering debris remained around the buildings as rescuers scoured the rubble.

CBS News said nearly 500 rescuers were deployed and residents in danger zones were evacuated by authorities, citing high risks from two black powder warehouses near the explosion site.

The Guardian added that large quantities of gunpowder stored in the warehouse area threatened the safety of rescue teams, and it said people were trapped and routes blocked by collapsed walls, columns and the roof in the factory area.

AP said the site had a large amount of products or semifinished products catching fire, causing continuous, sporadic blasts, and it said large quantities of gunpowder stored in the warehouse area also threatened rescue teams.

Several outlets said police detained or arrested the person in charge of the company, and CBS News and AP described technical measures during rescue including robots, spraying, and humidification.

Beyond the immediate rescue, the sources describe a broader push for workplace safety evaluation and risk control in key industries, alongside production halts and investigations into the cause of the blast.

Xi and Premier Li Qiang have called for a far-reaching evaluation of workplace safety measures in the wake of the incident, with Al Jazeera quoting Xi: “Authorities across regions and departments must draw profound lessons from the accident and reinforce responsibility for workplace safety,” according to Xinhua.

BBC

CBS News said Xi also ordered effective risk screening and hazard control in key industries and the strengthening of public safety management, and it described steps taken during rescue such as spraying and humidification to eliminate potential hazards.

CCTV and other state media reported that all fireworks and firecracker manufacturers in Liuyang had been ordered to halt production, and BFM said all fireworks manufacturers in Changsha, which supplies Liuyang, were ordered to suspend production while safety inspections are conducted.

The Guardian said all fireworks and firecracker manufacturers in Liuyang had been ordered to halt production, and it described the investigation as ongoing with police detained the person in charge of the company.

AP said authorities were investigating the cause of the blast and police had detained the person in charge of the company, Xinhua said, and it described the risk management directives Xi issued.

Several outlets also placed the incident in a longer pattern of fireworks accidents, with BFM citing last year’s Hunan fireworks factory explosion that killed nine people and injured 26, and UPI and Daily Sabah referencing earlier deadly fireworks-related accidents.