India, May 5 -- At least 21 people were killed and 61 others injured after a powerful explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in central China's Hunan Province on Monday, according to media reports.

43 p.m. at a facility operated by Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, a major hub for China's fireworks industry, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chinese authorities swiftly launched a large-scale rescue operation, deploying around 480 personnel across five teams. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, while the person in charge of the company has been detained.

Xi Jinping has called for all-out efforts to locate those still unaccounted for and to ensure the injured receive the be...