A giant explosion in a fireworks factory in central China caused the death of at least 26 people and left 61 injured, the state press reported this Tuesday.

The explosion occurred around 4:43 PM (08:43 GMT) on Monday at Liuyang Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company, in Liuyang, Hunan province, state CCTV reported.

Videos spread on social media showed continuous explosions accompanied by a huge cloud of smoke rising into the air in a rural area surrounded by mountains.

The images taken by a CCTV drone a day later reveal a strip of charred debris where buildings previously stood, while rescue teams and excavators removed them.

The smoke continued to rise from some buildings that were still standing, many with roofs torn off.

The central government sent experts to lead rescue efforts, while more than 480 rescuers were urgently sent to the site to carry out search operations, CCTV reported.

They investigate the accident

A 3 kilometer control zone was established around the site and nearby people were evacuated.

The Police detained the company's managers while investigations continue into the cause of the accident, CCTV said.

The Chinese president,

Liuyang is a major pyrotechnics center, producing about 60% of the fireworks sold in China and 70% of those exported.

Industrial accidents are frequent in China due to lax safety regulations.

Last year, an explosion at another fireworks factory in Hunan killed nine people.

In February, separate explosions at pyrotechnics shops in Hubei and Jiangsu provinces killed 12 and eight people, respectively.