Fireworks Shop Blast In China Kills 8, Triggers Nationwide Safety Review Before Lunar New Year

At least eight people were killed, and two were injured after an explosion and fire at a fireworks shop in eastern China ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations, authorities said. The deadly Sunday blast in a village in Jiangsu province was triggered when a resident set off fireworks improperly near the store, the Donghai county government said in a statement.

Bursting firecrackers at midnight on the Lunar New Year is a part of traditional celebrations in China. However, many places have banned fireworks in recent years, at least in part because of air pollution. Many regional governments have eased these restrictions in recent times, but the incident may spark renewed bans.

The Ministry of Emergency Management in China has warned officials of urgent measures to prevent a repeat of such an incident in the coming days amid massive celebrations. In a statement following an emergency meeting of top officials, the ministry said all regions had to learn from the Sunday explosion and must strengthen the supervision of all stages of fireworks production, transport, sales and use. “Officials must resolutely prevent similar incidents from recurring,” the ministry said in the statement issued after the meeting, which was presided over by Vice-Minister Xu Jiaai.

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The ministry instructed that all regions, as well as the fireworks business, must conduct a thorough assessment of safety risks and dangers related to fireworks and firecrackers. The Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival in China, is a 15-day celebration marking the beginning of the new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar. This year, the festival falls on Tuesday (Feb 17), ushering in the year of the Fire Horse.

The festival is also considered the world’s biggest annual migration, known as Chuyan. In 40 days, nearly 9.5 million journeys are undertaken by Chinese citizens. The mass inter-region migration is fueled by the cultural imperative of the Reunion Dinner. It also serves as a key occasion for Chinese society’s family reunions when millions of migrant workers return from coastal mega cities to their ancestral villages.