On Wednesday, February 18, in the afternoon, an explosion and fire occurred in a fireworks store in China. According to preliminary data, at least 12 people died. This is reported by UNN with reference to Sky News.
Details
According to Chinese state media, emergency services extinguished a fire in an unnamed store in Xiangyang, a city in China's central Hubei province. The flames reportedly covered an area of 50 square meters of the premises.
It is also reported that explosions related to fireworks are not uncommon in China, where they are widely and often indiscriminately used during celebrations such as the Lunar New Year.
In addition, according to Chinese state media, on Sunday, February 15, eight people died and two more were injured after a similar incident at a fireworks store in Jiangsu province in eastern China.
On Thursday, February 12, an explosion at a fireworks factory in Hunan province killed nine people and injured 26 others.
And although pyrotechnics are banned in some Chinese cities for safety and air pollution reasons, these bans are controversial. After all, firecrackers are traditionally used to ward off evil spirits and remain an integral part of New Year's celebrations.
Explosion in Chinese fireworks store kills eight people on the eve of Lunar New Year16.02.26, 07:01