Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered a comprehensive investigation and a regional halt to fireworks production following a catastrophic explosion at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. plant in Liuyang, Hunan province, that left at least 37 dead and dozens injured, with one person still missing, on May 4. The blast, which tore through the facility at approximately 4:40 p.m., stands as one of the most devastating industrial disasters in years for China’s fireworks heartland.
Liuyang, a county-level city administered by Changsha, has long been recognized as China’s fireworks capital, producing roughly 70 percent of China’s fireworks exports and accounting for 60 percent of its domestic market. The industry’s origins in this municipality of 1.5 million people date back more than a millennium.
Ancient Industry With Modern Dangers
The Guinness World Records organization credits the first accurately documented firework, the Chinese firecracker, to Li Tian, a monk who lived near Liuyang during China’s Tang dynasty, dating to roughly 618 to 907 A.D. Li discovered that gunpowder packed into hollow bamboo stems produced loud explosions, leading to the traditional New Year firecrackers used to drive away evil spirits.
But that deep heritage has been shadowed by repeated tragedies. A 2019 fireworks factory accident in Liuyang killed 13 people and injured 17. Local authorities initially attempted to conceal the extent of that disaster, claiming only seven had died before an investigation by Hunan’s provincial government revealed the higher toll. The pattern of underreporting has fueled public skepticism about official accounts of industrial accidents in the region.
Massive Response Effort
More than 1,500 firefighters, rescuers, medical personnel, and police were deployed to the scene. They were supported by drones and three robots designed to assist with search operations and minimize risks to human responders. Crews adopted spraying and humidification measures to neutralize potential hazards, particularly with two black powder warehouses near the explosion site that posed a threat of secondary blasts.
Residents in danger zones were evacuated as a precaution. Changsha Mayor Chen Bozhang said that “search and rescue at the scene has largely been completed, but verification of the casualties and identification of the victims are still underway.”
Widespread Devastation Revealed
Aerial footage broadcast by state media on May 5 revealed the scale of the devastation: collapsed and damaged facilities, scorched earth, and lingering smoke drifting across the industrial site. Social media videos showed buildings damaged or destroyed across multiple city blocks, underscoring the explosive force of the blast.
Authorities have detained the person in charge of the company.
High-Level Investigation Launched
Xi urged “all-out efforts” to locate those still unaccounted for and treat the injured while calling for a swift investigation into the disaster and broader workplace safety reforms nationwide. He also ordered effective risk screening and hazard control across key industries, alongside a strengthening of public safety management.
“Authorities across regions and departments must draw profound lessons from the accident and reinforce responsibility for workplace safety,” Xi said, according to remarks carried by Chinese state media. Both Xi and Premier Li Qiang have called for a far-reaching evaluation of workplace safety measures in the wake of the disaster.
On May 7, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate announced it is directly supervising the criminal investigation — a significant escalation beyond the State Council inquiry already underway. Public security authorities confirmed they had taken measures against the company’s person in charge, with reports suggesting the individual has been arrested. Police have also summoned eight people for questioning on suspicion of causing the explosion. The investigation is expected to scrutinize how the explosion occurred at a facility operating in an industry that has faced repeated scrutiny over safety lapses. Reporting by Caixin Global revealed that Huasheng had been fined as recently as February for unsafe chemical mixing and had fraudulently borrowed a safety manager’s credentials — a practice in which a company lists a licensed individual on paper without that person actually working on site.
Repeated Failures In Safety Enforcement
This week’s catastrophe is not an isolated event. In February, China reported two deadly explosions at fireworks shops around the Lunar New Year period, raising fresh questions about regulatory enforcement in an industry that handles vast quantities of explosive material. The recurrence of such incidents has placed pressure on Beijing to deliver more than rhetorical commitments to workplace safety.
Regional fireworks production was suspended as investigators sought to determine what triggered the May 4 blast. The Huasheng plant, once a small piece of a sprawling industrial network that supplies celebrations across the globe, now stands as a charred reminder of the human cost behind one of China’s most iconic exports. Officials have signaled that those responsible will face the full weight of the law — a promise that, in Liuyang, residents have heard before.
