Toll rises to 25 in blast at fireworks disposal site

TURPAN, Xinjiang, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Three people injured during an explosion at a fireworks disposal operation in Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region late on Wednesday died, bringing the death toll from the accident to 25.

Five others were missing, according to Zheng Qiang, deputy secretary of the Turpan Prefectural Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The accident happened at about 7:00 p.m., when authorities in Turpan city were destroying eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi desert about seven to eight kilometers from the Turpan tollgate of national highway 202.

The blast killed 22 people on the spot and injured 10 others.

URUMQI, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Local officials said that 22 people were killed and 10 injured in an accidental explosion at a fireworks disposal site in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday.

The accident happened at about 7:00 p.m., when authorities in Turpan city were destroying eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi desert about seven to eight kilometers from the Turpan tollgate of national highway 202.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.