Society

Death toll from China fireworks blast rises to six

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-30 18:17

HOHHOT: The death toll has risen to six from a fireworks blast in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as investigators announced Saturday the body parts that had already been found were confirmed to be those of two missing people.

The accident happened at around 9:58 am Wednesday at a workshop of the Chunhua Fireworks Factory in Zhaohao Village of Shandai Town, in the Tumote Left Banner, when 25 were working.

An initial investigation showed that 11 workers escaped unhurt and eight others were injured.

According to clues given by local residents, police had found five bags of body parts abandoned in the crop field about?3 km away from the factory, including three men and two women.

Local villagers had already identified the body parts of three workers, including two women and a man, and investigators listed three others as missing.

Because rescuers had retrieved another body from the debris of the workshop Friday afternoon, therefore, investigators announced Saturday that the remaining two bags of body parts were those of two missing workers, a banner government spokesman said.

But the exact number of workers at the scene at the time of explosion is yet to be confirmed, because investigators have found some of the injured workers were not on the 25 names list the spokesman said.

Police are still hunting for the factory's legal person, Zhang Yungang, he added.