Overview
- A massive explosion at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, Hunan, killed at least 21 people and injured 61, according to state media.
- Central authorities sent expert teams and more than 480 rescuers who are digging through the debris with excavators under a three‑kilometer control zone with nearby residents evacuated.
- Police have detained company leaders after Xi Jinping urged a full search, care for the wounded, and accountability for those found responsible.
- State television showed wide fields of smoking rubble as rescue crews continued search-and-rescue and cleanup across the factory site.
- Liuyang produces about 60% of the fireworks sold in China and 70% of exports, and the disaster adds to a string of fatal blasts tied to weak safety controls in Hunan, Tianjin, Hubei, and Jiangsu.