The death toll from a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Hunan province, has climbed to 37, with one person still missing, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.

The blast occurred on Monday at approximately 4:40 p.m. local time (0840 GMT) in Liuyang, widely known as China’s “fireworks capital.”

The city produces about 60% of the country’s domestic fireworks and around 70% of its exports.According to Xinhua, on-site search and rescue operations have now been completed.

A total of 51 injured people are receiving treatment in hospitals.Authorities have launched a formal investigation into the incident. Police have summoned eight individuals for questioning on suspicion of responsibility for the deadly explosion.

The probe is being supervised by China’s top prosecutors.In response to the tragedy, Hunan provincial authorities have ordered the immediate suspension of operations at all fireworks plants in Liuyang for comprehensive safety inspections.

This incident marks the deadliest fireworks factory explosion in China since 2019. In June this year, another explosion at a fireworks factory in Hunan killed nine people. The country’s worst industrial blast in recent years occurred in 2019, when a chemical plant explosion in Jiangsu province claimed 78 lives.

Further details on the cause of the latest explosion are expected to be released as the investigation progresses. (ILKHA)