China: At least 12 people were killed following a deadly explosion at a fireworks shop in China's Hubei province on Wednesday afternoon. This marked the second such explosion as the country celebrates the Lunar New Year.
Emergency responders quickly extinguished the blaze at the fireworks shop in the town of Xiangyang, in central Hubei province, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Investigators are now looking into the cause of the explosion, the report said, without providing further details. Fireworks are a major part of the Lunar New Year celebration in China, but their use has also been the cause of multiple accidents.
Just days earlier, on Sunday, another explosion at a fireworks shop in eastern Jiangsu province resulted in eight deaths and two injuries. Authorities reported that a resident had set off fireworks near the shop, triggering the blast.
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The central government issued a warning about the dangers in a statement on Tuesday, stating that "fireworks are still the biggest risks during the Spring Festival period," according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.