Eight people have been killed and two others suffered minor burns following an explosion and fire at a fireworks shop in eastern China. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday afternoon in a village in Jiangsu province, just ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Authorities in Donghai county stated that the blast was caused by a resident improperly setting off fireworks near the store, though further details were not immediately released.
While the tradition of setting off firecrackers at midnight on Lunar New Year is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture, many regions have recently implemented bans on fireworks, partly in response to concerns over air pollution.
They may make a comeback in some places after some governments eased their bans last year.
The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China, falls on Tuesday. It will mark the start of the year of the horse in the Chinese zodiac.
Following Sunday’s explosion, the Ministry of Emergency Management urged all regions to strengthen the supervision of the production, transportation, sales and use of fireworks to prevent future accidents.
A ministry statement said that trying out fireworks and firecrackers around stores should be strictly prohibited and called on local governments to identify and eliminate blind spots “to ensure the people have a safe, auspicious and happy Spring Festival.”
Last year, a deadly fireworks explosion rocked São Paulo in Brazil on Thursday 13 November.
The blast ripped through homes after a warehouse storing fireworks blew up in the Tatuape district of the city, killing one person. Ten people were taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Footage shows the moment of the explosion next to Salim Farah Maluf Avenue, before lit fireworks shower the road.
The explosion shattered windows and damaged parked cars, leaving debris strewn across the street.
