China: Explosion at fireworks factory kills at least 21

An explosion ripped through a fireworks plant in the central Chinese province of Hunan, leaving at least 21 people dead, state media reported Thursday, A total of 61 people are reported to have been injured in the incident.

What do we know? The blast occurred in the ​city of Changsha on Monday at around 4:40 pm local time (8:40 am UTC), state-run outlets CCTV and Xinhua reported. The city is home to a hub for fireworks manufacturing. The causes behind the incident were not immediately clear. Nearly 500 rescuers were deployed at the site of the blast, reports said. People staying in danger zones were evacuated, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing high risks from two black powder depots located on the site. According to reports, rescue workers used spraying and humidification to eliminate potential hazards and further accidents during the operation.