Rescue teams conduct operations at the accident site in Guandu township, Liuyang, Central China's Hunan Province on early morning on May 5, 2026. Photo: Sina Weibo account of Xinhua News Agency

Twenty-one people have died and 61 have been injured, according to Xinhua News Agency's latest update at 8 am on Tuesday on the explosion that occurred at a fireworks plant in Liuyang, Central China's Hunan Province around 4:40 pm on Monday. After the explosion, Hunan Province immediately activated its emergency response plan, urgently dispatching five rescue teams totaling 482 personnel to the site for emergency operations and full-scale search and rescue efforts, per Xinhua.

At the rescue site, 20 rescue positions have been established, Xinhua reported. Rescue teams, equipped with three rescue robots, are carrying out a grid-style, comprehensive search and rescue operation in a human-machine collaborative approach. After the first round of thorough inspection, the blast has resulted in 21 deaths and 61 injuries and all the injured have been transported to hospitals for treatment.

Two black powder warehouses at the plant site pose significant high-risk hazards. The on-site rescue command has designated a 1-kilometer core rescue zone and a 3-kilometer control zone, and evacuated residents from the dangerous areas to safety, according to Xinhua. 

To prevent secondary accidents, rescue teams have set up isolation belts and firebreaks around the factory, while implementing measures such as water spraying and humidification to eliminate potential risks. 

Currently, the rescue command is organizing a second round of thorough inspections. Public security authorities have taken control measures against the responsible executives of the involved company. The investigation into the cause of the accident and follow-up disposition work are proceeding in an orderly manner, the update said.



Global Times