BEIJING, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Twelve people were killed on Wednesday when a store selling firecrackers exploded and caught fire in China’s Hubei province, burning 50 square metres of the premises, state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The incident occurred at an unnamed retailer in the central Chinese city of Xiangyang, according to the report. The cause of the blast was under investigation, CCTV said.
Video footage verified by Reuters showed a low-rise building with black smoke billowing out of the charred shop front.
Explosions related to pyrotechnics are not uncommon in China, where firecrackers are widely used and often indiscriminately deployed during celebratory occasions such as the Lunar New Year holiday, which began on Tuesday.
In June, a blast at a fireworks factory in neighbouring Hunan killed nine people and injured 26 others.
Some cities in China have banned fireworks out of concerns over safety and air pollution, but the measures are controversial as firecrackers, traditionally used to scare off evil spirits, remain central to Lunar New Year celebrations.
(Reporting by Colleen Howe; additional reporting by Aaron McNicholas; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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