BEIJING: The death toll from the explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan province, rose to 37 as of Friday (May 8), with search and rescue operations largely concluded, local authorities said.
According to a statement released by the local government, one person remains missing, and 51 others were hospitalised. Of those receiving medical treatment, five are in serious condition but have stable vital signs.
The explosion occurred at 4.43pm on Monday at the Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co, located in Liuyang, a county-level city in Changsha.
In response to the accident, the Changsha government swiftly activated emergency response procedures and established a task force to manage the situation.
More than 1,500 personnel were mobilised to conduct rescue operations, emergency responses and medical treatment, the statement said.
Authorities conducted a comprehensive investigation to locate the missing individuals, making efforts to treat the injured, manage the aftermath, investigate the cause of the accident, and conduct safety inspections; rectifications are progressing in an orderly manner, it said.
Eight individuals have been summoned by the police on suspicion of causing a major liability accident, it added.
According to the China Media Group, the incident exposed significant gaps in safety oversight, a systemic challenge facing the fireworks industry.
Remote video monitoring of fireworks factories allows regulators to spot safety violations in real time and preserve evidence for potential enforcement actions.
However, investigators found that the monitoring system for fireworks plants in Liuyang, managed by the city's emergency management department, was built more than a decade ago and lacks cloud storage.
An official at the monitoring center said that the footage was lost when the company's factory lost power after the blast.
Huasheng, the company involved in the accident, has been repeatedly cited for safety risks in recent years.
In January, it was fined 15,000 yuan ($2,205) by regulators for two safety violations, including mixing oxidisers and reducing agents in its workshop, which significantly increase the risk of a violent reaction in the event of an accident, the China Media Group reported.
Li Guo, deputy director of the emergency management department in Liuyang, said that although the industry has made significant progress toward standardisation in recent years, regulatory gaps remain.
"As a labor-intensive industry, low entry barriers and the limited educational background of some workers present challenges for safety regulations," Li said in the CMG report.
Liuyang is home to more than 430 fireworks enterprises, employing over 300,000 workers. Following the accident, all fireworks production enterprises across Hunan province have suspended operations to eliminate potential safety hazards.
On Friday, the State Council established an accident investigation team to look into the case.
The team was led by the Ministry of Emergency Management, with participation from the Ministry of Public Security, the General Administration of Customs, the State Administration for Market Regulation, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the Hunan provincial government. - China Daily/ANN
