21 killed in China fireworks factory blast; 500 rescuers lead massive relief effort

A powerful explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in central China’s Hunan province killed 21 people and injured around 60, triggering a massive rescue operation, state media reported on Tuesday. Nearly 500 rescuers were deployed to the scene and evacuations were conducted in danger zones. Officials were also evacuating residents within a 3-km radius of the plant, where two warehouses storing black gunpowder continue to pose a significant risk. The blast happened at a workshop of the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, a major hub for firework production, according to reports by Xinhua. Footage circulating on Chinese…