Beijing dispatches Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing to oversee the consequences of a fatal explosion in “China’s fireworks capital”
The number of fatalities from a fireworks factoryexplosionIn Liuyang, Hunan province, the death toll rose to 26 on Tuesday, as Beijing dispatched Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing to oversee the situation following the explosion, reported Chinese state media.
Zhang stated that China’s State Council, the country’s cabinet, would form an investigation team to examine the cause and assist in criminal prosecution, according to the official news agency Xinhua.
Zhang has promised to impose penaltiesfirework producersthose that breach safety standards, along with regulators who impose penalties on businesses rather than overseeing them.
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The blast took place approximately at 4:40 pm on Monday inside a workshop at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company, located in a city renowned for its fireworks industry, which is under the provincial capital Changsha.
The mayor of Changsha, Chen Bozhang, informed the media on Tuesday afternoon that the number of fatalities had risen to 26, with the injured count still at 61, according to state television CCTV.
The oldest victim was 68 years old, whereas the youngest was in their twenties. Several of the injured were transported to Liuyang People’s Hospital and Liuyang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital for urgent care, primarily due to fractures.
Liu Jiayong, the Communist Party secretary of Changsha city’s health commission, mentioned that six of the injured are in critical condition.
Chen mentioned that the on-site search and rescue mission, which involved over 1,500 individuals from fire, emergency services, police, and medical teams, had been mostly finished.
Real-time monitoring of local air and water quality showed that environmental metrics were within normal ranges, he stated.
Chen also extended an apology from the local government regarding the incident and promised to carry out comprehensive safety inspections in comparable companies right away.
On Monday, President Xi Jinping called for maximum efforts to locate individuals who remained missing and to assist the injured.
Online videos shared on Chinese internet sites depicted dense white smoke billowing upwards from the location of the explosion.
The explosion also shattered doors and windows in nearby villages, with residents stating that large stones were thrown onto the roadside during the blast. Some villagers mentioned they had evacuated their village due to safety issues.
The blast occurred less than three months following a firework shop explosion and subsequent fire in Hubei province, China, which resulted in 12 fatalities.
On Monday, Xi called for appropriate management of the consequences and a timely inquiry into the incident, emphasizing that those involved should be held responsible, as reported by Xinhua.
Regional and departmental relevant authorities must learn “deep lessons” from the accident and strengthen their accountability for workplace safety, Xi instructed.
Premier Li Qiangalso called for initiatives to enhance occupational safety in critical industries and sectors, and firmly avoid the occurrence of significant incidents.
The Liuyang police force stated that it has arrested the company’s top executives for an ongoing inquiry into the accident’s cause.
On-site rescue teams evacuated residents living within 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) of the facility, as two storage facilities used by the company to hold black gunpowder continued to present a major hazard on Tuesday morning.
To avoid additional incidents during the rescue mission, firefighters utilized water cannons to fully saturate the area. Three rescue robots were also sent in for search and rescue operations.
Structures located near the epicenter of the explosion were almost completely destroyed, as shown in drone footage aired by CCTV on Tuesday morning. White smoke was visible rising from many locations, although the fire had been effectively put out.
Explosions associated with firecrackers and fireworks are common in China, where they are extensively used during traditional celebrations like theChinese New Year.
Certain cities in China have prohibited the use of fireworks because of safety issues and air contamination. However, these regulations have encountered opposition since fireworks continue to play a vital role in celebrations, as the loud noises are believed to drive away malevolent spirits, as per Chinese customs.
The Huasheng Fireworks Company was founded on August 2, 2000, with a registered capital of 5.4 million yuan (US$790,000), as reported by the Chinese news platform Caixin.
In February, the company received a fine of 15,000 yuan (US$2,200) from the Liuyang Emergency Management Bureau, according to Caixin, which cited official records of safety violations. These records indicated that local safety inspectors discovered a worker had stored industrial potassium perchlorate and phthalate together in January.
These two components, which need to be kept apart and managed with care, are frequently combined to produce eco-friendly fireworks, devoid of sulfur and metals, offering a “greener” explosion charge that serves as a stable, reduced-smoke option compared to conventional, more harmful mixtures.
Known as “China’s fireworks capital,” Liuyang is a well-known hub for producing fireworks and firecrackers in China. It is home to over 430 companies in this industry, which make up approximately 60 percent of the country’s market share, as reported by People’s Daily.
According to a report released in February 2025, the party’s official publication stated that Liuyang’s firework industry provided employment for over 300,000 individuals and generated a total output value of 50.22 billion yuan (US$7.35 billion).
The municipal authorities host the annual Liuyang International Fireworks show to demonstrate its cutting-edge products, achieving a Guinness World Record in October for the biggest drone formation flight, which involved 15,947 drones carrying fireworks.
Mayor Dai Shuiwen of Liuyang stated that all fireworks and firecracker manufacturers in Liuyang had been instructed to halt production for a safety check starting at 7pm on Monday.
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