Society

4 dead, 2 injured in E. China fireworks blast

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-11 07:46
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HEFEI: A fireworks blast killed four, including an infant, and injured another two Sunday in east China's Anhui province.

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The blast occurred at 2 pm in a farmer's home, which had no production license, in Lianyun township, Yuexi county. Six rooms collapsed, a spokesman of the county government said.

The injured were in stable conditions, he said.

The householder Jin Jiaming, who was killed in the explosion, had transported fireworks raw materials from another illegal workshop in Zhongguan township, the spokesman said.

It has been a long tradition for the Chinese to set off fireworks to celebrate the Spring Festival which falls on February 14 this year.

Fireworks were banned in large cities such as Beijing and Shanghai in the early 1990s, but the ban was gradually lifted to allow the public to enjoy a festive atmosphere.