15 die in stored detonator blast

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-29 07:35

Police investigate an explosion, which was caused by detonators triggered on a residential property in Henan province on Saturday. Fifteen people died and nine were injured. Zhu Xiang

PUYANG, Henan province: Fifteen people died and nine were injured when detonators stored on residential property were triggered, causing an explosion in a Henan province village on Saturday.

The blast occurred at about 1:12 am in Donggancheng village in northeastern Henan province, the provincial work safety supervision administration said.

An initial investigation determined the detonators and 35 kg of explosives were illegally stored in a large residential yard villagers had developed for lease.

Police interrogated the house's owner Li Hongyu. The 50-year-old said he rented the home to two strangers two months ago, without checking their identities.

Experts were conducting DNA tests to determine if the two renters were among the victims, Puyang bureau police officer Liu Jiye said.

Authorities said the detonators might have gone off while they were being removed and are still working to determine if the blast was accidental.

"I heard a powerful explosion around midnight, and the windows shattered," said Wang Shunjiao, 50, who lived in the yard.

More than 10 homes collapsed and another 60 were damaged.

"I jumped out of bed and rushed to the blast site with many neighbors to rescue people," Wang recalled. She said white smoke and a bad odor lingered in the air.

Villagers had constructed more than 80 brick-and-tile huts in the yard, which was being leased out without local authorities' approval. About 27 migrant workers were living in the makeshift homes, most of which were vacant.

The blast left a 1m-deep, 2m-wide crater.

Xinhua

(China Daily 12/29/2008 page5)