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Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

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Gabbard Releases Documents on Fauci’s Alleged Role in Wuhan Lab Research Linked to COVID

Xiaohua Li is an international correspondent and associate producer of NTD's "China in Focus" based in New York City. She primarily reports for "China in Focus," focusing on U.S.-China relations. Xiaohua has a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Pennsylvania State University. Contact Xiaohua at Xiaohua.li@ntd.com

Xiaohua Li

What should have been a festive holiday afternoon turned deadly in China on Feb. 18, when a fireworks shop exploded during the Lunar New Year shopping rush, killing at least 12 people.

<a href="https://youtu.be/g3hrxtZB7ac?t=15">Videos</a> posted online showed thick white smoke pouring into the sky from the shop as explosions erupted in rapid succession, with fireworks igniting one after another inside the burning structure.

The blast happened around 2 p.m. in a small town in central China’s Hubei province. Authorities said a fire broke out inside the roughly 540-square-foot retail shop before triggering a chain of explosions that quickly engulfed the building.

Officials confirmed that 12 people were killed. No additional injuries were immediately reported. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
<h2><strong>Trapped Above the Flames</strong></h2>
The incident occurred on the second day of the Lunar New Year—one of the busiest times of year for fireworks sales in China, when retailers often stockpile large quantities of explosive materials.

Preliminary findings pointed to possible safety violations, including excessive storage and a layout common in smaller towns, where shops occupy the ground floor and families live above.

“The fire spread straight up the stairwell,” a local villager who witnessed the incident<a href="https://www.epochtimes.com/b5/26/2/18/n14700788.htm"> told</a> The Epoch Times’ Chinese-language edition. “The shop was downstairs, and people lived upstairs. There was no time to run.”

He said fireworks stacked inside the store fueled repeated explosions, filling the building with smoke and flames and blocking escape routes.

“The explosions just kept going,” he said. “There were children inside.”

Authorities have not publicly released the identities or ages of the victims. Local reports circulating online said some may have been minors, though that has not been independently confirmed.
<h2><strong>The 2nd Blast in Days</strong></h2>
The explosion in Hubei came just three days after another fireworks blast killed eight people at a retail site in eastern China.

That explosion, on Feb. 15, also injured two others, according to official reports. Authorities said improperly discharged fireworks ignited explosives stored at the shop.

Together, the two incidents have left at least 20 people dead in less than a week.

Fireworks are a central part of Lunar New Year celebrations, traditionally used to ward off bad luck and welcome the year ahead. But the holiday also brings a seasonal rise in fires and fireworks-related accidents.
<h2><strong>Regulatory Gaps Exposed</strong></h2>
A commentary<a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1857457008592293077&wfr=spider&for=pc"> published</a> by a local Chinese media outlet after the Hubei explosion suggested the disaster was not an isolated accident, but part of a broader pattern of safety failures.

The article noted that local authorities had recently inspected fireworks retailers in the area, ordering fixes for problems such as expired fire extinguishers and unsafe storage. Yet the explosion occurred just weeks later.

It raised questions about whether inspections were thorough enough, whether storage limits were enforced, and whether local regulators have the resources to oversee hundreds of licensed shops.

The commentary also pointed to a broader challenge. As some cities tighten restrictions on fireworks, sales have shifted to smaller towns and rural areas, where oversight may be less consistent.

On<a href="http://s.weibo.com/weibo?q=%E6%B9%96%E5%8C%97%E5%AE%9C%E5%9F%8E%E7%88%86%E7%AB%B9%E5%BA%97%E7%88%86%E7%82%B8"> Chinese social media</a>, grief quickly gave way to frustration.

“It feels like this happens every year,” one commenter wrote.

Another user recalled a similar incident in central China last year, saying the shop owner was detained after fireworks were ignited and triggered an explosion.

Others questioned the effectiveness of the enforcement.

“In some places, they crack down hard,” one user wrote. “But accidents still keep happening.”

State media<a href="https://weibo.com/1699432410/5267792785840677"> said</a> China’s top workplace safety agency has placed the Hubei explosion under special oversight, a step typically reserved for major accidents.

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At Least 20 Killed in Fireworks Explosions Across China During Lunar New Year Celebrations

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