Nine people have been killed and five injured in an explosion at
a fireworks factory in a village in central China's Hunan
Province.
The explosion occurred Wednesday morning at a private fireworks
factory in Baizhu Village, Liling City, killing the owner of the
factory and family members, said officials from the city
government.
Liling is one of the major fireworks production bases in
Hunan.
In 2003, the city arrested 69 owners of illegal fireworks
factories, 12 of whom were jailed.?
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2004)