An explosion occurred at an illegal fireworks workshop in Hunan province on 10 July, killing seven workers and leaving three others injured.

Most parts of the workshop collapsed as a result of the explosion. Six people died at the scene and another worker was declared dead after she was admitted to the hospital. The workshop is located in Yizhang County in Chenzhou City, Hunan.

The workshop is illegal and most of the workers are middle-aged and old women who came from Tangling Village in the county. The average age of those who were killed and injured in the accident is more than 40 years old. The oldest is 76, while the youngest one is a 14-year-old girl, according to Gu Xiangwang, head of Yizhang County Work Safety Bureau.

Gu said the bureau issued an order in late June requiring all fireworks factories in the county to halt operation for three months starting from July for safety inspection.

The fireworks workshop’s owner Tan Changliang, a native of Jingkou Village, opened the 50-square-metres workshop in adjacent Tangling Village. His wife also died in the accident. The cause of the blast is under investigation.

Source: Mingpao Daily iNews (10 July 2006)

11 July 2006