(Unofficial translation provided by BHRC)

“Company a Foreign Trade Manufacturer That Was Penalized Three Months Ago: Follow-up on the Liuyang Fireworks Explosion,” May 6, 2026, Southern Weekly

Twenty-six people were killed and 61 injured. At 1:00 p.m. on May 5, 2026, the Changsha Municipal Government held a press conference to report on the latest findings regarding the explosion at the workshop of Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co., Ltd. The press conference stated that on-site search and rescue operations have now been largely completed.

The accident occurred at approximately 4:43 p.m. on May 4. According to accounts from nearby residents to the media, a massive explosion was followed by a mushroom cloud rising into the sky, and two subsequent explosions were heard, shattering the windows and doors of surrounding buildings due to the shockwave. According to live footage from CCTV News at 8:00 a.m. on the morning of May 5, buildings in the core area of the factory were severely damaged, with debris scattered across the site and white smoke still rising from some areas.

Information from Qichacha shows that Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Huasheng Fireworks”) was established in 2000. It is registered in Binghe Village, Guandu Town, Liuyang City, with its primary business scope being the production of fireworks and firecrackers. The legal representative is Hu Zhengping. After the accident, a Southern Weekly reporter called Hu Zhengping’s phone, but no one answered.

According to public information, the controlling shareholder of Huasheng Fireworks is Hunan Liuyang Fireworks Co., Ltd. (......).

Hunan Liuyang Fireworks Co., Ltd. was formerly known as Hunan Huasheng Group Co., Ltd., founded in 1993, and was the first private fireworks export enterprise in Liuyang City.

The official website of Hunan Huapao indicates that its factory is located in Guandu Town (......) and that its products are primarily sold to the U.S. and European markets.