An explosion at a fireworks shop in China's Hubei province on Wednesday killed 12 people, state media reported, the second such explosion as the country celebrates the Lunar New Year. Emergency responders put out the blaze at the fireworks shop in the town of Xiangyang, in central Hubei province, on Wednesday afternoon, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. ADVERTISEMENTInvestigators are now looking into the cause of the explosion, the report said without giving further details. On Sunday, another accident at a fireworks shop in eastern Jiangsu province killed eight people and injured two. Authorities had said a resident had set off fireworks near the shop.

Source: The Telegraph February 18, 2026 14:12 UTC