News / International
Vietnam firework factory explosion kills seven
12 Oct 2013 at 05:37hrs | Views
moke and explosions rise above a fireworks factory within a military complex in Thanh Ba district, 120 kilometres north of Hanoi, on October 12, 2013. AFP
Hanoi - At least seven people died early on Saturday in an explosion at a fireworks factory within a military complex, state media reported.
The explosion prompted the evacuation of about 2 000 people living near the Z121 military facility, around 120km north of Hanoi, police said, adding incident was yet to be brought under control.
"At least seven people have died and more are injured in the explosion," the official Vietnam News Agency reported, without providing details on the number of injured.
Residents in Thanh Ba district - where the complex is located - said they felt the ground shake in repeated explosions, the VNExpress news site reported.
"The fire and explosion are ongoing. Firemen and soldiers have not been able to get access," policeman Pham Quang Minh told AFP from near the accident site.
"About 2 000 people around the Z121 factory have been evacuated," he added.
One local resident told AFP that locals have fled to the Viet Tri township, about 40km away, fearing further damage.
"We have received warnings from authorities that there could be further explosions, which could be very destructive," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
No information on the cause of the explosion was immediately available.
In 2010, fireworks being prepared at Hanoi's My Dinh stadium for use in the city's 1 000th anniversary celebrations exploded, killing three foreigners and one Vietnamese national.
The explosion prompted the evacuation of about 2 000 people living near the Z121 military facility, around 120km north of Hanoi, police said, adding incident was yet to be brought under control.
"At least seven people have died and more are injured in the explosion," the official Vietnam News Agency reported, without providing details on the number of injured.
Residents in Thanh Ba district - where the complex is located - said they felt the ground shake in repeated explosions, the VNExpress news site reported.
"The fire and explosion are ongoing. Firemen and soldiers have not been able to get access," policeman Pham Quang Minh told AFP from near the accident site.
One local resident told AFP that locals have fled to the Viet Tri township, about 40km away, fearing further damage.
"We have received warnings from authorities that there could be further explosions, which could be very destructive," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
No information on the cause of the explosion was immediately available.
In 2010, fireworks being prepared at Hanoi's My Dinh stadium for use in the city's 1 000th anniversary celebrations exploded, killing three foreigners and one Vietnamese national.
Source - AFP
