China: 26 killed, 61 injured in blast at fireworks factory

In China, at least 26 people were killed and 61 others injured in a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in  Hunan province, officials said on Tuesday. The explosion occurred on Monday afternoon at the plant operated by the Huasheng fireworks manufacturing and display company in Liuyang, a county-level city under Changsha, the provincial capital. Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed massive destruction of property spanning several kilometres.

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At least 26 people killed and 61 injured after a powerful explosion at the Huasheng fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan province, China.

Rescue operations ongoing as President Xi Jinping orders a thorough investigation. pic.twitter.com/KQEPnaxO3p

— BSN (@Barristerstreet) May 5, 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an investigation after an explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in central China and its surrounding area.Xi said “those responsible must be held accountable” and “urged all-out efforts to search for people who are still unaccounted for”, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The scale of the incident is still unknown as rescue efforts continued into Tuesday. The number of missing people is also not known. Liuyang produces about 70 percent of China’s fireworks exports, according to China Daily, and accounts for 60 percent of the country’s domestic market. The last major accident at a fireworks factory in Liuyang was in 2019, when 13 people were killed and 17 injured