Huge blast at fireworks shop leaves 8 dead and more feared injured | World | News

8 people lost their lives in the explosion that occurred in a fireworks shop. Authorities said the fire broke out at a store in eastern China ahead of the Lunar New Year.

The other two people suffered minor burns. According to a statement from the Donghai county government, the explosion occurred on Sunday afternoon (February 15) in a village in Jiangsu province after a resident inappropriately set off fireworks near a store.

No further details were given as to what happened.

Exploding fireworks at midnight on Lunar New Year is a tradition in China, but fireworks have been banned in many places in recent years, at least in part because of air pollution. Some governments eased their bans last year to allow for a return.

Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival in China, falls on Tuesday. This will mark the beginning of the year of the horse according to the Chinese zodiac.

The Ministry of Emergency Management called on all regions to strengthen inspections on the production, transportation, sale and use of fireworks to prevent future accidents following Sunday’s explosion.

According to the ministry’s statement, trying firecrackers and firecrackers near stores should be strictly prohibited. He called on local governments to identify and eliminate blind spots “to ensure that the public has a safe, auspicious and happy Spring Festival.”