A massive explosion at a fireworks factory in China left 12 people dead, two missing, and 33 injured, the local government reported on Tuesday.

The explosion happened on Monday at Nanyang Export Factory, which is located at Liling City in the province of Hunan in China.

Initial reports stated that 38 people were injured, but was later revised to 33 since several people were counted twice while being transported to other hospitals.

Like Us on Facebook

The cause of the explosion is yet to be announced. Moreover, local authorities immediately clarified that the factory was properly licensed.

Despite the improving safety regulation standards in China, accidents in the workplace are still common because of the lax implementation of safety protocols.

According to Tao Ku, the spokesperson of the rescue workers, there were a lot of injured people. The number posed difficulty in accommodating all of them in one hospital.

"Four of the most severely hurt have been transferred to a better hospital in Zhuzhou City," Tao said in a statement.

Meanwhile, authorities are still searching through the remains of the factory in an attempt to find the other two who remained unaccounted for.

Following the explosion, the factory was closed. The local residents living nearby reportedly helped in clearing up the resulting damages.

Liling City is a top production site for fireworks in China. In addition, it should be noted that China is the largest producer and exporter of fireworks around the globe.

Fireworks display is a big part in Chinese celebration, especially in the lunar year.

However, the fireworks industry has suffered from several tragic accidents in the past years.

In 2013, 11 people died while 17 were injured when a fireworks factory in Southern Guangxi exploded.

Also, in February 2013, at least five people were killed when a vehicle carrying fireworks exploded on a highway at Henen province. The incident was also said to have destroyed a part of the road.

TagsExplosion, fireworks, china explosion