21 killed in an explosion at a Chinese fireworks factory

A massive explosion at a fireworks manufacturing factory in Liuyang city, Hunan province, central China, on the afternoon of May 4, 2026, killed 21 people and injured 61 others. The accident occurred around 4:40 PM local time at the 'Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company' factory complex, located in an area considered one of the world's leading fireworks production centers.

According to Chinese state media reports, the majority of the deceased and injured were factory workers aged between twenty and sixty, suffering from bone fractures, severe injuries, and other trauma. Foreign media indicates that scenes of large smoke clouds rising from the accident site, collapsed buildings, scattered debris, and fires are circulating on social media and news services. The explosion was so powerful that building debris and fragments were scattered over a large area.

Following the accident, authorities deployed over 1,500 rescue workers, including firefighters, and three rescue robots to launch a "human-machine coordinated" search operation. Considering the risk posed by two black powder storage facilities at the factory, a 3 km controlled zone and a 1 km rescue zone were declared, and nearby residents were evacuated. By May 5, rescue operations were largely complete, and no environmental pollution or secondary hazards have been reported so far.

Chinese President Xi Jinping acted swiftly regarding this tragedy, instructing relevant authorities to carry out rescue operations to the fullest extent and to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident. He also emphasized strengthening safety measures across key industries like fireworks and taking strict legal action against those responsible. Factory executives and responsible individuals have been arrested, and it has been revealed that the company had previously faced charges for violating safety regulations. The exact cause of the accident has not yet been officially confirmed, and investigations are underway to determine if it was due to a storage error, a manufacturing process fault, or equipment malfunction.

According to 2025 data, China leads the global fireworks market with an export revenue of 1.14 billion US dollars. Liuyang city in Hunan province, its epicenter, is an area with a high risk of such accidents due to the constant use of combustible powders and explosives. Past incidents, such as the explosion in Liuyang in 2019 and the factory explosion in Hunan in June 2025 that killed 9 people, clearly demonstrate the significant safety challenges continuously faced by this industry.