A fireworks factory explosion in Liuyang, Hunan province during the May Day holiday has killed three people and injured 25 others, two of them seriously, local authorities said.
Emergency and fire rescue teams were dispatched to the scene following the blast. Rescue efforts are ongoing as of 7pm on Monday.
Online footage showed thick smoke rising high into the air from the explosion site. Nearby villagers reported broken and deformed doors and windows in their homes, with stones weighing hundreds of catties blown onto roadsides. One villager said she had left the village due to the shock of the loud explosion.
