"BEIJING - A massive explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in northeast China killing at least 13 workers, damaging nearby buildings and causing secondary blasts.
Up to 50 people were working at the fireworks factory in the city of Yichun in Heilongjiang province when it was rocked by the explosion according to a statement posted on the local government's website.
A total of 148 people were injured by the blast, which could be felt up to 2 miles away and smashed windows in the local government offices and other buildings.
Safety is lax at Chinese fireworks plants, and accidents are common. Dozens of people also die each year from unsafe handling of fireworks while celebrating weddings and traditional holidays.
In a separate industrial accident, an elevator plunged on a construction site, killing 11 workers riding in it.
Investigators were looking into the cause of the elevator accident in the city of Meihekou in the northeastern province of Jilin. The elevator dropped as many as 12 stories, according to a statement from the local government.
Although deadly accidents persist, China has placed an increasing emphasis on improving industrial safety.
Fatalities in the country's notoriously dangerous coal mines decreased to 2,631 last year, compared with a peak of 6,995 deaths in 2002, according to official figures.
That works out to 7.2 deaths a day in 2009, down from 19.1 a day in 2002."
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