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Fireworks Suspected in Fatal Fire in China


Guangdong province, China
Guangdong province, China

Nine people have died in a fire at a waste processing facility in southern China that is suspected of being sparked by fireworks residue, state news agency Xinhua said Saturday.

The fire broke out in the early hours of the morning in Qingyuan city in the southern province of Guangdong, Xinhua said, citing the local government.

The fire has been extinguished and a survivor with serious burns was sent to a hospital, the report said.

Police have detained several suspects in connection with the fire, Xinhua said, without giving details.

“Preliminary investigation showed that fireworks residue initially caused the fire. When three workers were trying to put out the flames, an explosion occurred, killing more people living nearby,” it said.

The victims consisted of workers at the facility and their families, who lived in makeshift wooden rooms on the second floor, Xinhua said.

“The garbage burnt quickly and discharged heavy smoke. The victims were unable to escape,” it said.

China has just begun a weeklong holiday for the Lunar New Year, when fireworks and firecrackers are traditionally let off in celebration.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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