15 die in blast set off by cache of detonators

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-12-28  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

FIFTEEN people were killed and nine others were injured after detonators set off an explosion in a village in central China's Henan Province early yesterday.

The blast happened at 1:12am in Puyang city's Donggancheng Village, northeast of Henan, the provincial work safety supervision administration said.

An initial investigation determined the detonators were illegally stored in a large residential yard set up by villagers for lease. Experts estimated more than 35 kilograms of explosives were in the store.

Li Hongyu, owner of the house where the detonators were stored, told police he rented the home to two strangers, two months ago, without checking their identities.

Experts were conducting DNA tests to find out if the two strangers were among the victims, said Liu Jiye, a Puyang bureau police officer.

Police were last night still trying to work out if the blast was accidental.

"I heard a strong explosion at midnight and the windows shattered," said Wang Shunjiao, 50, who lived in the yard. She added that white smoke and a bad smell lingered in the air.

More than 10 homes collapsed and another 60 sustained damage to roofs and walls. About 27 migrant workers were living in the makeshift homes but a majority of houses were vacant.

The blast left a one-meter-deep, two-meter-wide hole in the ground.