An explosion at a fireworks factory in central China just weeks ahead of the Chinese New Year killed 10 people and injured seven others, authorities said.
The Tongxu county government in Henan province said the cause of Thursday's blast was not immediately clear and under investigation.
Explosion rocked a fireworks plant in Tongxu County, C #China's Henan at about 11 a.m. Thur. Casualties unknown. pic.twitter.com/Nb5VCGDaPf— People's Daily,China (@PDChina) January 14, 2016
China is just weeks away from Chinese New Year -- the country's biggest holiday -- an occasion marked by grand celebrations such as the setting off of fireworks. Therefore frequent fireworks-related incidents at Chinese factories in the weeks leading to the holiday are not uncommon, as China generally has a poor record in workplace safety.
On Wednesday, an explosion at a machinery factory killed four workers in the eastern city of Shanghai.
Tongxu county was in the spotlight recently when local authorities ordered the demolition of a gigantic statute of communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, which cost 3 million yuan (nearly US$460,000) and took nine months to build. The structure was reportedly taken down after it was mocked by Chinese social media sites and drew sneers from the public.
-- Additional reporting by Mashable Asia