Twelve people were killed in an explosion at a firework shop in Hubei in central China on Wednesday, just days after eight people died in a similar incident in a nearby province.
The accident happened just before 2.30pm on the second day of Lunar New Year in Zhengji township in the city of Xiangyang, state news agency Xinhua reported.
The report added that the subsequent fire spread across the premises and was put out within an hour. An investigation into the cause is under way.
The explosion followed another deadly blast in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province on Sunday, the first day of the nine-day holiday period, which killed eight people and injured two others.
The authorities blamed the incident on improper handling of fireworks and detained a number of people as investigations continued.
Traditionally, fireworks and firecrackers are set off across China during the Lunar New Year period. They are seen as a way to welcome prosperity and good luck and ward off evil spirits.
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