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Wednesday, February 18, 2026
 
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Fireworks shop explosion kills 12 in central China

publish time

18/02/2026

publish time

18/02/2026

Fireworks shop explosion kills 12 in central China
Chinese folk performance known as da shuhua, or molten iron fireworks ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations in Beijing, China on Feb 9. (AP)

WUHAN, Feb 18, (Xinhua): Twelve people were killed in an explosion at a fireworks retail store in central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday afternoon, local authorities said.

The blast occurred at around 2 pm in Zhengji Town of Xiangyang City, according to emergency authorities. The fire and explosion affected an area of about 50 square meters. Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene, and open flames had been extinguished by 3:30 p.m.

Twelve bodies were found at the site. The cause of the explosion is under further investigation.