Xinhua News Agency reported that the accident occurred at about 2:30 PM on the 2nd day of Lunar New Year (February 18th) in Xiangyang city, Hubei province.
The explosion caused the fire to spread to the adjacent store area, and firefighters controlled the fire after 1 hour. According to initial information, the explosion killed 12 people.
Traditionally, Chinese people burn firecrackers and fireworks during the Lunar New Year to pray for good luck, prosperity and drive away evil spirits. However, for many years, many provinces and cities have applied restrictive measures, even completely banning firecracker burning due to concerns about air quality and safety. Recently, some localities have relaxed the ban and switched to controlled management.
This is the 2nd fireworks explosion just days after the first explosion on February 15, the 28th of Tet, which killed 8 people and injured 2 people in Jiangsu province.
Immediately after the explosion in Jiangsu, the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management requested localities to learn from the explosion and tighten supervision of the fireworks production and business industry.
The Ministry emphasized that localities must "resolutely prevent" similar incidents, and at the same time conduct a comprehensive assessment of unsafe risks.
In an online meeting with provincial leaders on February 16, the Ministry of Emergency Management continued to warn that fireworks and fireworks are still the biggest risk during the Lunar New Year. This agency requests to maintain vigilance and regular supervision to ensure safety nationwide during the holidays.
The Ministry of Emergency Management affirmed that China must resolutely prevent serious and catastrophic accidents, and strive to minimize risks for other serious incidents.
