An explosion in a Linli County fireworks plant in
central China's Hunan
Province left 13 people dead and 3 injured on Wednesday.
Seven people died at the site and six others after
being taken to the hospital. It was not immediately clear whether
the victims were employees or neighbors.
An explosion in the finished products warehouse at
about noon apparently set off a chain reaction that demolished the
entire 3,000-square-meter plant. Windows were blown out of houses
more than a kilometer away.
A local resident told the Xiaoxiang Morning
News that he was taking lunch to his wife, a plant employee,
and had just entered the packaging room when he heard an explosion.
Before he could take cover, he said, the entire room collapsed
around him.
The blast ignited a fire that destroyed more than
half a hectare of forest before it could be contained.
A source identified by the Hunan Daily only
as "a person in charge" said that the plant had finished and
semifinished fireworks stored on the premises, as well as about 150
kg of gunpowder.
Authorities are investigating and have detained one
of the owners, who was also in charge of production.
The State Administration of Work Safety reports
that in the first nine months of this year, 192 people died in 92
separate fireworks accidents.
(China.org.cn October 29, 2004)?
