China: Death toll in Hunan firecrackers factory blast nears 30, dozens injured

A deadly explosion in Hunan, China, took nearly 30 lives after a blast at a fireworks factory.

As reported by state media on Tuesday, 26 people died and more than 60 got injured after the blast continued flattening buildings and sending towering clouds of smoke into the sky, prompting President Xi Jinping to ‌order a thorough investigation.

Advertisement

More than 1,500 firefighters and rescuers, along with medical personnel and police, were deployed.

Many drones and robots were also involved in the search operation for survivors and to control on-site hazards after the explosion at a factory compound in Liuyang, the city in central Hunan province known as China's fireworks capital.

Authorities evacuated surrounding areas because of the risk from highly combustible black powder stored in warehouses in the complex.

The Xinhua News video also showed thick clouds of black and grey smoke rising from a large site littered with collapsed buildings and debris.

Notably, China is no stranger to fireworks and industrial accidents.

In June last year, an explosion at a fireworks factory also in Hunan province killed nine people and injured 26.

"The Changsha government expresses its condolences to all the victims and sincerely apologizes to all the families of the victims, the injured, and other affected people and the whole society," said Chen Bozhang, deputy secretary of the Changsha Municipal Party Committee and the city's mayor.

"We feel extremely sad and extremely guilty."

Xi called for a speedy investigation to determine the cause of the explosion and strict accountability for the incident, the report said.

Last year, China exported $1.14 billion worth of fireworks, more than two-thirds of global sales and far exceeding domestic sales, data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity showed.

President Xi Jinping ordered authorities to strengthen risk screening and hazard control in key industries and enhance public safety and ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

Last week, he urged a nationwide upgrade in China's disaster response capacity.

Xi also issued instructions after a fire tore through several residential towers in Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court complex in November, killing 168 people.

According to a 2025 Xinhua report, Liuyang's fireworks industry was worth 50 billion yuan, with 431 companies producing fireworks and firecrackers.

The city's fireworks production accounted for 60% of China’s domestic market and 70% of China’s firework exports.

The government said it would also carry out large-scale safety inspections across all sectors to close any regulatory loopholes.

Additionally, all fireworks and firecracker manufacturing companies in the city had been ordered to suspend production from Monday evening for inspections.