Taiwan offers condolences over deadly China fireworks factory blast

Taipei, May 5 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Tuesday expressed condolences over a deadly explosion at a fireworks factory in Hunan Province, central China, while saying that no Taiwan nationals are known to have been killed or injured.

The blast occurred Monday afternoon at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, a county-level city under Changsha, the capital of Hunan, killing 26 people and injuring 61, according to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Taiwan's government extended its condolences to the Chinese authorities, MAC said in a news release, adding that it hoped "the victims will rest in peace, the injured will recover soon, and losses from the disaster will be minimized."

As Taiwan's top government agency for handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, MAC said it had checked its voluntary online travel registration system for Taiwan nationals visiting China and found that 14 are currently in Hunan.

The council said it had also asked the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) to monitor the situation through certain "channels" -- without specifying what they were -- and confirmed that no Taiwan nationals had so far been reported killed or injured in the incident.

The SEF is a semi-official organization tasked by Taiwan's government with handling matters involving Taiwanese visiting, living in, or doing business with China, as well as exchanges between the two sides.

MAC said Taiwan's government will continue to monitor the latest developments, while reminding Taiwan nationals in the area to remain alert to ensure their own safety.

Xinhua reported Tuesday afternoon that rescue operations were nearly complete and that all fireworks manufacturers in Liuyang had suspended production for safety inspections.

Liuyang is a renowned fireworks manufacturing hub in China, with Chinese media reporting that the city accounts for more than 70 percent of the country's fireworks exports.