Toll from China's firecracker blasts rises
Published: March 28, 2008 at 6:59 AM
BEIJING, March 28 (UPI) -- The death toll from exploding firecrackers as they were being destroyed in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur region has risen to 24.
The incident occurred Wednesday as authorities in Turpan were destroying eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi Desert, Xinhua reported Friday. The cause of the explosion hasn't been determined.
Xinhua reported 22 of the 24 victims died at the scene, while 10 other people were injured, two of them critically. Five other people were missing. The victims were mostly police officers, staff from the explosives' disposal company and journalists covering the event.
Seven of the eight trucks used to transport the fireworks were destroyed.
The items had remained stored for 10 years but it was decided dispose of them as dry weather in the area raised the risk of explosion, the report said.
Earlier this month, four workers in an explosion in a fireworks plant in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang region.
The incident occurred Wednesday as authorities in Turpan were destroying eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi Desert, Xinhua reported Friday. The cause of the explosion hasn't been determined.
Xinhua reported 22 of the 24 victims died at the scene, while 10 other people were injured, two of them critically. Five other people were missing. The victims were mostly police officers, staff from the explosives' disposal company and journalists covering the event.
Seven of the eight trucks used to transport the fireworks were destroyed.
The items had remained stored for 10 years but it was decided dispose of them as dry weather in the area raised the risk of explosion, the report said.
Earlier this month, four workers in an explosion in a fireworks plant in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang region.
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This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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A Palestinian refugee Mohamad Harb 85 year Old . shows his old house keys from his former village as a symbol of hope that his may return his one day on May 12, 2008 in his Rafah refugee camp which is located within the Gaza Strip. Harb used to live in the village of Hmamh before his family was forced to immigrate to the Gaza Strip in 1948. After sixty years Harb has hope of returning to his old village which is now in Israeli territory and is named Kreat Hmamh. Traditionally Palestinians commemorate May 15th as Nakba Day or Catastrophe Day, the day the Israeli State was created in 1948.(UPI Photo/Ismael Mohamad)
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