At around 4:43 p.m. on May 4, an explosion occurred at a workshop of Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co., Ltd. in Liuyang City, Changsha, Hunan Province. As of 1 p.m. on the 5th, the accident had caused 26 deaths and 61 injuries. The injured were rushed to hospitals for treatment. Some injured individuals at Liuyang People's Hospital were interviewed by journalists from the national broadcaster and recalled their experiences during the incident.
Injured worker Lin Meixiang was employed at the group potting workshop. At the time of the incident, she heard a loud "bang," and everyone immediately tried to escape, running out of the workshop through a hole in the wall. She was struck down by bricks flying from the explosion.
She said, “After exiting the workshop door, I didn’t even have time to react—I was struck by a brick and fell to the ground. Then I couldn’t see anything with my eyes; I crawled on the ground for quite a while, and once I could see again, I escaped immediately.”
According to Lin Meixiang’s recollection, there were about fourteen or fifteen people, including the workshop supervisor, in Workshop No. 42 at the time of the incident. Everyone had left their phones in the workshop and did not note the exact time.
Another injured worker, Qiu Baisong, recalled that he was separated from the explosion scene by two streets. He was at the back door at the time; as soon as he opened the door, he rushed out. When he realized what was happening, everything around him had been blown to pieces. “I’m not really clear about what happened after that—the scene was pretty terrifying. I only remember myself running outside, not daring to look back.”
Qiu Baisong was affected by the shockwave, his foot injured by flying stones, and he is still receiving treatment.
The 61 injured from the explosion have been sent to Liuyang People's Hospital, Liuyang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, and several other hospitals for treatment. Most injuries are soft tissue contusions, abrasions, bone cracks, and fractures. Liuyang People's Hospital has admitted multiple injured individuals, with some remaining under observation in the ICU. After last night’s surgeries and today’s follow-up visits, the overall condition of the injured is stable and none are in life-threatening condition.
At the same time, starting 7 p.m. on May 4, all fireworks and firecracker production enterprises citywide in Liuyang have suspended operations for comprehensive rectification. Meanwhile, a citywide safety production inspection and overhaul has begun to plug regulatory loopholes, enforce corporate accountability, and make every effort to raise the overall level of safety.