15 killed in Chinese fireworks blast

  • 13/07/2015
(file)
(file)

Fifteen people have been killed and more than a dozen injured in China when an illegal fireworks warehouse exploded in the northern Hebei province, state media reports.

The blast on Sunday morning (local time) shattered windows up to one kilometre away from the factory in Dongwang Township, Ningjin county, local officials told state-run news agency Xinhua.

Bloodstains were seen at the gate of a nearby garment factory, Xinhua said, adding that heavy rescue machines were still being brought to the site by evening.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the explosion, the Ningjin government said.

AFP