14 killed, 13 injured in China fireworks factory explosions

Fourteen people were killed and 13 injured as explosions ripped through two Chinese fireworks factories on Sunday and Monday, local authorities said.

In the explosion that occurred at about 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Dongtun Fireworks Factory in Huaiyang county in central Henan province, seven were killed and 12 injured, the county publicity department said in a press release.

Of the seven killed, five workers were killed at the scene and two died after emergency medical treatment failed. Another 12 injured are still under emergency treatment.

At the time of the blast, the workers were being involved in illegal production as the factory had been ordered to suspend production since its production license had expired, according to the statement.

The factory owner's family have been held by police and the owner was already on its way home from a business trip.

The county authorities have ordered all local fireworks factories to suspend production to fix safety loopholes.

In the second explosion that happened at about 4 p.m. Sunday at the Longfa Fireworks Factory in the city of Yichun in eastern Jiangxi province, seven workers were killed and one more injured, the Yichun city government confirmed Monday.

The injured worker is under treatment and his life is in no danger, it said in a statement.

The Longfa Fireworks Factory is a privately-owned licensed plant, it added.

Investigations into the causes of the two explosions are under way.