At least 9 dead, 26 injured in China fireworks factory blast

An explosion at a fireworks factory in central China killed nine people and injured 26 others, state media said Tuesday. The blast occurred shortly before 8:30 am Monday at a factory in Hunan province. China National Radio reported rescue work at the scene was ongoing, noting a "complicated" situation and the risk of additional explosions hampering response efforts.

During more than 20 hours of uninterrupted and continuous rescue, the rescue team used remote-controlled water cannons to extinguish the fire.