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The identities of all victims in a fireworks and firecrackers explosion in Yicheng, Xiangyang city of Central China's Hubei Province have been confirmed, with the accident causing 12 deaths, including seven adults and five minors, according to a report from the CCTV News.

A press conference was held on Thursday morning regarding the accident in Yicheng. According to the briefing, at 2:24 pm on Wednesday, an explosion involving fireworks and firecrackers occurred at the Qianhe store, located in Jinpu village of Zhengji township. 

After receiving the report of the accident, rescue personnel arrived at the scene at 2:33 pm and immediately carried out firefighting, search and rescue, and site control operations. The open flames were extinguished at 3:12 pm, according to the briefing.

After a comprehensive search and inspection, it was confirmed that 12 people died in the explosion, including seven adults and five minors. The identities of all the victims have been verified. Apart from one person, surnamed Lin, who was the operator of the store, the other 11 victims were customers who had gone to purchase fireworks and firecrackers, including three people who had traveled from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, to visit relatives in Zhengji, four from Huji town in Zhongxiang city in Hubei, and four local residents of Yicheng. 

Relevant information has been promptly communicated to the families, and authorities are actively coordinating to help address the practical difficulties faced by the victims' relatives, according to the briefing. 

After the accident, the Office of the Work Safety Commission under China's State Council and the Ministry of Emergency Management have dispatched a supervision team to the site to guide rescue and investigation. They have also required the Hubei provincial government to form an accident investigation team to conduct a thorough investigation and pursue strict accountability in accordance with laws and regulations, according to a release from the Ministry of Emergency Management on Wednesday night. 

Global Times