Explosion at fireworks factory in China kills 26, injures 61

An explosion at a fireworks plant in a province in central China killed at least 26 people and injured 61 others, authorities said Tuesday, Report informs via AP.

China's official news agency Xinhua said the blast occurred at a plant in Changsha city of Hunan province on Monday afternoon. State media China Daily said the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. in the Changsha-administered, county-level city of Liuyang, a prominent fireworks powerhouse.

Changsha mayor Chen Bozhang said search and rescue operations at the scene have largely been completed, but verification of the casualties and identification of the victims are still underway.

Aerial footage from state broadcaster CCTV on Tuesday showed white smoke still billowing in certain areas of the site, with facilities collapsed or damaged.

Nearly 500 rescuers were deployed to the scene and residents in danger zones were evacuated by authorities, citing high risks from two black powder warehouses near the explosion site, the Xinhua report said.