21 dead and dozens injured in China fireworks factory blast

Twenty-one people are dead and 61 have been injured after an explosion at a fireworks factory in China.

The incident happened on Monday afternoon in the city of Changsha, Hunan province, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Nearly 500 firefighters, rescuers, and medical personnel were deployed to the scene.

President Xi Jinping has ordered a thorough investigation into the blast and "all-out efforts" to search for people who remain unaccounted for.

Footage broadcast by CCTV showed thick smoke billowing from the area around the site of the factory, owned by Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company.

Collapsed buildings and debris can also be seen strewn around the blast zone.

Xinhua state news agency reported that residents in nearby neighbourhoods were evacuated due to the risk from two nearby black powder warehouses, as well as the smoke.

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Firework-related blasts are not uncommon in China, where they are used widely and often indiscriminately during celebrations such as Lunar New Year.

During Lunar New Year celebrations in February, 12 people were killed in a fireworks explosion in the east.

Last June, another blast at a fireworks factory ⁠in Hunan killed nine ​people and injured 26 ​others.

(c) Sky News 2026: 21 dead and dozens injured in China fireworks factory blast