BEIJING (AP) — An explosion and fire at a fireworks shop in eastern China ahead of the Lunar New Year have killed eight people and left two with minor burns, authorities said.
An explosion occurred in a village in Jiangsu province on Sunday afternoon after a resident improperly set off fireworks near a shop, the Donghai County government said in a statement. It did not provide further details about what happened.
It is a Chinese tradition to set off firecrackers at midnight during the Lunar New Year, but many places have banned them in recent years, at least in part because of air pollution.
They may be making a comeback in some places after some governments relaxed bans last year.
Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival in China, is on Tuesday. This will mark the beginning of the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Horse.
After the explosion on Sunday, the Ministry of Emergency Management asked all localities to strengthen supervision of the production, transportation, sales and use of fireworks and firecrackers to prevent recurrence of accidents.
A statement from the Ministry of Commerce said that setting off fireworks around stores should be strictly prohibited and called on local governments to identify and eliminate blind spots to “ensure that people have a safe, auspicious and happy Spring Festival.”
