An explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, a county-level city in China's south-central Hunan province, has killed 26 people and left 61 others wounded, according to Chinese state media. The blast struck the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co plant on Monday afternoon, just before 5pm local time, triggering a series of continuous explosions as large quantities of stored gunpowder and finished products caught fire. Authorities subsequently ordered all fireworks and firecracker manufacturers in Liuyang to halt production.
More than 1,500 emergency responders were deployed to the site, supported by drones, search dogs and robots. Rescuers managed to pull seven survivors from the rubble, while large quantities of black powder stored in two on-site warehouses complicated the operation, forcing teams to spray and humidify the area to prevent secondary blasts. Everyone within a 3-kilometre radius of the plant was evacuated. The sheer force of the explosion shattered windows in nearby residential buildings, bent aluminium frames and twisted stainless-steel doors. Residents described having to take detours as debris was blasted onto local roads, and some have left the area out of fear. The injured range in age from their twenties to their sixties, with many suffering bone injuries from flying debris.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion. Police have detained the person in charge of the company, and Changsha's mayor, Chen Bozhang, said the local government expressed deep remorse and condolences to victims' families. President Xi Jinping called for all-out search and rescue efforts, a swift investigation to establish accountability, and stronger safety management across high-risk industries. Environmental monitoring in the surrounding area has so far shown no abnormal indicators in water or air quality.
Liuyang holds a singular place in the history of pyrotechnics. According to Guinness World Records, the first accurately documented firecracker is attributed to Li Tian, a monk who lived near the city during China's Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), who discovered that packing gunpowder into hollow bamboo created powerful explosions. Today the city is widely regarded as the world's largest producer of fireworks, making Monday's disaster particularly symbolic.
Explosions at fireworks factories and shops are a recurring hazard in China. As recently as February, two separate deadly blasts at fireworks stores in Hubei province — during the lunar new year period, when demand for fireworks peaks — killed around 12 people. Monday's incident in Liuyang is among the deadliest such accidents in recent years, renewing questions about safety standards in an industry that remains central to Chinese cultural life and a significant export sector.