An explosion at a fireworks factory in Xiangfen County, Shanxi
Province, on Tuesday afternoon killed at least 25 people and
injured nine, according to Xinhua News Agency.
As of 8:00 AM Wednesday morning, the fire caused by the blast
had been extinguished and recovery teams were sifting through the
site.
The majority of the dead were women workers from
neighboring rural areas. The injured were sent to a local hospital
for treatment.
The factory's workshops as well as finished-product and
explosives storage areas were all located in caves built along the
edge of the valley.
A relative of one injured worker told the Shanxi Evening
News that a truck transporting fireworks exploded first,
setting off a chain reaction. Officials are still investigating the
cause of the blast.
Local police are searching for the factory owner, who apparently
fled after the accident.
(China.org.cn by Tang Fuchun, January 12, 2005)
