- An explosion at a pyrotechnics shop in Jiangsu killed eight people.
- Two other people suffered minor burns in the incident.
- The cause of the tragedy was the improper launch of fireworks.
- Chinese authorities ordered tighter controls on pyrotechnics after the incident.
- The incident happened shortly before the Chinese New Year celebrations.
An explosion and fire at a fireworks store in eastern China left eight dead on Sunday, the local authorities said. Another two people suffered minor burns, TASR informs, according to the report of the AP agency.
Sunday’s explosion in a village in Jiangsu province caused by one of the residents after how fireworks set off incorrectly near a store, Tunghai County officials said. They did not provide any further details. In response to this incident, the Chinese Ministry of emergency management all regions to increase controls on the production, transport, sales and use of fireworks to prevent accidents.
The incident occurred at a time when Beijing is preparing for Chinese New Year celebrations. This year, the celebrations fall on Tuesday, when, according to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Horse officially begins. Setting off flares at midnight on New Year’s is a tradition in China, but in recent years many cities have at least partially banned fireworks due to air pollution. However, according to AP, the authorities in some places eased these bans last year.
