An explosion at a fireworks shop in China’s Hubei province on Wednesday (Feb 18, 2026) killed 12 people, state media reported, the second explosion as the country celebrates the Lunar New Year.
Emergency responders extinguished the fire at a fireworks shop in the town of Xiangyang in central Hubei province on Wednesday (Feb 18) afternoon, the official said. Xinhua News Agency. Investigators are now looking into the cause of the blast, the report said, without giving further details.
Fireworks are a big part of Lunar New Year celebrations in China, but their use is also the cause of many accidents.
On Sunday (February 15), eight people were killed and two were injured in another accident at a fireworks shop in eastern Jiangsu province. Authorities said a resident set off fireworks near the store.
The central government warned of the dangers in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 17), saying that “fireworks are still the biggest danger during the Spring Festival period,” according to the emergency management ministry.
Published – February 18, 2026 08:56 pm IST
