37 Killed in China Fireworks Plant Blast

(MENAFN) The death toll from a devastating explosion at a fireworks manufacturing facility in central China has climbed to 37, a state media outlet reported Friday, as authorities launched a sweeping safety crackdown across the country's fireworks industry.

The blast struck a plant in Liuyang, Hunan province, at approximately 4:43 p.m. local time (08:43 GMT) on Monday, leaving 51 people injured — five of them in critical but stable condition — and one person still unaccounted for. Police have since detained eight individuals on suspicion of negligence.

More than 1,500 emergency personnel were deployed in the immediate aftermath, with search and rescue operations now largely concluded. Chinese authorities have ordered all fireworks factories across Hunan province to halt production immediately pending comprehensive safety inspections.

The incident has cast a spotlight on Liuyang, widely recognized as China's fireworks manufacturing capital. The city is home to more than 400 production enterprises, generating annual output exceeding 50 billion yuan — approximately $7.3 billion — in 2025 alone, a figure representing roughly 70% of China's total fireworks exports. An official investigation into the cause of the explosion is now underway.

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