By Xinhua
Urumqi (China) : At least 22 people have been killed in an explosion at a firework disposal site in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, officials said.
The incident took place at around 7.00 p.m. Wednesday, when authorities in Turpan city were destroying eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi desert, some seven kilometres from the Turpan tollgate of national highway 202.
Ten people were wounded in the accidental blast. Authorities are investigating the incident.
The injured were rushed to hospitals for treatment. Most of the victims were police officers. A journalist and a staff of the Turpan Radio Station were killed in the blast.
Officials said a fire triggered by the explosion was quickly put out.
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