DEADLY BLAST

26 Killed in Giant Firework Factory Explosion

The cause of the blast remains under investigation.

A blast at a Chinese fireworks factory has killed 26 and injured 61 people. State media reported the explosion in Changsha, in the central province of Hunan, on Tuesday, adding that all manufacturing around the site had been immediately halted. Mayor Chen Bozhang told reporters on Monday afternoon that search and rescue efforts have largely concluded but that assessments of the extent of injuries and the identity of the deceased remain ongoing. “We feel extremely pained and deeply remorseful,” he said. The mayor added that operations to retrieve workers trapped in the building had been complicated by stockpiles of gunpowder and other explosive materials at the site. The collapse of supporting columns, walls, and the building’s roof had also blocked routes to those trapped inside. Police are investigating the cause of the explosion and are understood to have arrested an individual at the company that owns the factory.