As many as 11 people were killed when an explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in southwest China's Sichuan province, highlighting the appalling safety standards within the industry, state media reported on Monday. Seven people were killed on the spot by the blast on Sunday at the Meile Fireworks Plant of Hongren village, Mianyang city, Xinhua News Agency said. The explosion caused the collapse of nearby houses, claiming the lives of three more people and injuring seven others. One of the injured died later at a local hospital. The local authorities have ordered 30 nearby fireworksn factories deemed to be unsafe to stop production and await overhauling.

An official from the county where the factory was located confirmed the death toll, but refused to provide more details, saying that the explosion was under investigation. Explosions at fireworks factories are common because of a lack of safety training for workers and insufficient measures taken by factory owners. Last week, a blast at a factory in the central Chinese province of Hubei killed seven people and injured six others. The cause was blamed on a worker who mishandled explosive material. Bureau Report