12 killed in China's Hubei as firecracker store explosion triggers blaze

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.

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.