UPDATE 1-Death toll rises to 37 in China fireworks factory blast

​The death toll has ​risen to 37 from ‌26 and ​one person remains missing after a fireworks factory explosion in the southern Chinese ‌province of Hunan, state news agency Xinhua saidon Friday, in the deadliest blast reported in China since 2019. The explosion happened at ‌around 4:40 p.m. (0840 GMT) on Monday in Hunan's Liuyang, known ‌as China's fireworks capital because it manufactures 60% of the domestic supply of the devices and about 70% of exports. Xinhua said on-site research and ⁠rescue ​work has ⁠been completed and 51 people are being treated at hospitals.

An investigation into ⁠the incident has been launched and police have summoned eight people ​for questioning on suspicion of causing the deadly explosion, state ⁠media said. The probe is under supervision of China's top prosecutors while Hunan ⁠has ​ordered the suspension of operations for all fireworks plants in the city for safety inspections.

In June, an explosion ⁠at a fireworks factory in Hunan killed nine people. In 2019, a ⁠chemical plant ⁠blast in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu left 78 people dead.

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