Four die in firecracker explosion

FOUR members of a family were killed and six were injured in an explosion at their illegal firecracker factory home in Guangdong.

Three of the dead were children aged between eight and 13.

The explosion in Wuchuan on Friday has pushed the local authorities into taking emergency measures to crack down on the illegal production of firecrackers.

The semi-official Hong Kong China News Agency yesterday reported that the blast had been triggered by Mai Maohai, 45, who was making firecrackers at his home in Wuchuan city on Friday morning.

Mai was killed instantly with his two nephews, aged eight and 13.

The blast caused the collapse of the upper floor of their two-storey home.

The body of Mai's nine-year-old daughter was found in the ruins by a rescue team.

Six other family members injured were Mai's mother, his two teenage children, and two nephews and a niece aged between five and 10.

The news agency said they were all helping with the production or playing with firecrackers at the time of the blast. Mai's wife was returning home and witnessed the explosion.

Three people died this month in a blast at another illegal firecracker factory in Maoming city.