Overview
- The explosion at the Liuyang Huasheng fireworks factory, which erupted Monday afternoon, left at least 26 dead and 61 injured according to state-linked reports.
- About 480 to 500 firefighters and rescuers are on site searching the ruins, evacuating nearby residents, and putting out hot spots after fires burned overnight.
- Police detained the company’s leadership and opened an investigation after President Xi Jinping urged full care for the wounded, searches for the missing, and accountability for those at fault.
- Drone and eyewitness video show the complex largely destroyed with roofs blown off and debris strewn for kilometers, and hospitals are treating the injured.
- Liuyang produces most fireworks sold in China and a large share of exports, and repeated accidents tied to weak safety enforcement raise risks for workers and the local economy.