Death Toll Rises to 37 in Liuyang Fireworks Factory Blast, 1 Missing

An explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan Province, has left 37 people dead, one missing and 51 hospitalized as of noon on May 8, including five in serious but stable condition.

The blast occurred at about 4:43pm on May 4 at Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co in Guandu Township, a major fireworks-producing area under Changsha.

Search and rescue work at the site has largely ended, according to the latest official update.

Attention has now shifted to clearing hazardous residue from the plant, where finished fireworks, semi-finished products and leftover pyrotechnic chemicals had posed a continuing risk of secondary explosions.

China National Radio reported that the transfer and disposal work was almost completed by the evening of May 7.

Luo Wen, an official with the Liuyang emergency management bureau involved in organizing the cleanup, said small amounts of highly dangerous material that could not be transported were destroyed on site.

On May 7, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said it had placed the case under special supervision, calling on prosecutors in Hunan to work with police and other agencies to determine the cause of the accident and pursue those responsible.

Police in Liuyang opened a criminal investigation on the day of the blast on suspicion of a major liability accident, and relevant company personnel have been detained.

Hunan has also ordered fireworks producers across the province to suspend operations for a safety overhaul following the blast.