Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for maximum efforts to locate missing individuals and treat those injured following a fireworks factory explosion in central China’s Hunan Province that caused significant casualties on Monday afternoon.
Xi, who also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, issued directives emphasizing stronger risk assessments, tighter hazard control in critical sectors, improved public safety measures, and the protection of lives and property.
The blast occurred at around 4:40 p.m. at a plant in Liuyang, a county-level city governed by Changsha, the capital of Hunan.
Xi also instructed authorities to properly manage the aftermath and swiftly investigate the incident, stressing that accountability must be ensured for those responsible.
He further urged officials across regions and departments to learn serious lessons from the accident and strengthen their commitment to workplace safety.
Premier Li Qiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also called for reinforced safety measures in major industries to prevent similar large-scale accidents.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Emergency Management of China has sent a team to Liuyang to oversee rescue and relief operations. Local emergency responders have reached the site and continue efforts to assist the injured and manage the situation.
