Overview
- State media report 12 deaths after a fire and explosion at a fireworks and firecrackers shop in Zhengji village, Xiangyang, around 2 p.m. local time on Feb. 18.
- Emergency responders extinguished the blaze at the site, and investigators are working to determine the cause.
- The incident is the second fatal fireworks-store explosion during Lunar New Year celebrations this week in China.
- A separate blast on Sunday in Jiangsu province killed eight people and injured two, with officials saying a nearby resident had lit fireworks.
- China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has labeled fireworks the biggest Spring Festival hazard and directed companies to strengthen oversight and conduct comprehensive risk assessments.