Thirteen people have been killed in an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in northwest China.
Most of those killed were women, ranging in age from a girl of 12 to a 70-year-old, a spokesman for the Shanyang county government in Shaanxi province said.
The factory owner allegedly fled on his motorbike after arranging for the injured to be taken to hospital. His mother was among those killed and his wife suffered head injuries, it was reported.
The factory was unlicensed and had not been inspected by safety officials. Homemade explosives are easy to obtain in China, and demand is high for fireworks, used in traditional rituals and celebrations.
A blast in March 2001 destroyed a school in the southern province of Jiangxi, killing 42 teachers and students.
The government blamed a lone bomber, but parents said students had been forced to make fireworks by school administrators.
AP