Nigeria commiserates with China as explosion kills 26, injures 61

  The Federal Government of Nigeria extends heartfelt condolences to the Government and People of the People’s Republic of China following the tragic explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang City, Hunan Province. This incident, which occurred at about 4:40pm local time (08:40 GMT) on Monday, reportedly resulted in the loss of at least 26 […]

The Federal Government of Nigeria extends heartfelt condolences to the Government and People of the People’s Republic of China following the tragic explosion at a fireworks factory in Liuyang City, Hunan Province.
This incident, which occurred at about 4:40pm local time (08:40 GMT) on Monday, reportedly resulted in the loss of at least 26 lives, with several others injured.
The explosion at the Huasheng Fireworks facility caused extensive destruction, displaced residents, and necessitated large-scale emergency response efforts, including the evacuation of surrounding communities.
A video of the incident shared on social media by People’s Daily showed widespread destruction, with buildings damaged or destroyed across multiple city blocks.
The video caption said public security authorities had “taken measures against the person in charge of the company”, suggesting the individual may already have been arrested.
In a statement by Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, Nigeria expressed its deepest sympathies to the bereaved families, the injured, and all those affected by this tragic event.
“The Government and people of Nigeria stand in solidarity with the people of China during this difficult time, recognising the shared human pain that accompanies such sudden and devastating loss.
“At this moment of grief, Nigeria reaffirms its enduring friendship with China and its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, both in times of progress and adversity. The thoughts and prayers of the Government and people of Nigeria are with the Government and people of China as they mourn the victims and continue recovery efforts,” it said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has since ordered an investigation, saying “those responsible must be held accountable” and “urged all-out efforts to search for people who are still unaccounted for”, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The local government dispatched 482 emergency personnel to the scene and evacuated the neighbouring area due to the risk of further explosions at the factory’s warehouses, state media reported.
The scale of the incident is still unknown as rescue efforts continued into Tuesday.
The number of missing people is also not known.