An explosion occurred at the Huasheng Fireworks plant in Liuyang, Hunan province, China, around 16:40 local time on Monday, killing 21 people and injuring 61 others. Rescue operations involved nearly 500 personnel, robots, and measures to prevent secondary blasts from gunpowder warehouses, with a 3km radius evacuated. President Xi Jinping directed all-out rescue efforts and an investigation, while police took action against the company head.