Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 15, 2003
Causes of Fireworks Factory Blast in E. China Pinpointed
Investigators have pinpointed the probable causes for a blast occurred in a fireworks factory in east China's Fujian province at the end of last month.
Investigators have pinpointed the probable causes for a blast occurred in a fireworks factory in east China's Fujian province at the end of last month.
Guo Liwen, deputy head of the public security and patrol police brigade under the provincial public security bureau, said on Friday that initial investigation indicated that the heat generated by a chemical reaction of the finished and semi-finishedfireworks stocked at the warehouse, with poor ventilation facilities, led to the self-igniting of the fireworks.
Guo cited as indirect reasons the excessive stockpiling of fireworks, a high temperature in the warehouse and the lack of skills and awareness of production safety among the factory owner and workers.
The blast occurred at around 8 a.m. at Jingxi Fireworks Factoryin Minhou county on July 31, claimed five lives and injuring 54 other people. The explosion leveled more than 600 square meters offactory buildings and caused cracks on buildings in a 600 meter radius.
The owners of the factory and people in charge of fireworks production are held responsible for the accident since they ran the factory in violation of production safety rules and allowed excessive stockpiles of fireworks, Guo noted.
A group of experts from the provincial safe production monitoring and management bureau, the provincial public security bureau and the provincial government have been investigating into the cause of the blast for the past more than one week.
Local police are on a manhunt for the three shareholders of thefactory, who escaped after the blast and are still at large.