News

July 26, 2023 – The Hunan Provincial Department of Emergency Management received a public report indicating suspected illegal storage of fireworks and firecrackers in some warehouses at the Qingyixing Aquaculture Base (formerly Tianlong Fireworks Factory) in Gejia Town, Liuyang City. The provincial authorities attached high priority to the case and promptly assigned responsible personnel to conduct an on-site verification.

Upon receiving the lead transferred from the provincial department, the Changsha Municipal Emergency Management Bureau immediately dispatched law enforcement officers from its Fireworks Division and Fireworks Task Force, coordinating with the Liuyang Public Security Bureau, emergency response units, and local township officials to investigate the reported site.

Field inspections confirmed that two warehouses at the Qingyixing Aquaculture Base (formerly Tianlong Fireworks Factory) contained a large quantity of illegally stored fireworks and firecrackers. The Liuyang Public Security Bureau subsequently sealed the warehouses in accordance with the law and confiscated the unauthorized explosives as part of the ongoing investigation.

Post-Incident Response & Investigation

Following the incident, provincial and municipal leadership demonstrated heightened vigilance by issuing critical directives mandating a comprehensive investigation, immediate rectification, and stringent disciplinary actions. The Provincial Emergency Department convened multiple dedicated meetings to oversee case proceedings.

The Changsha Emergency Bureau intensified regulatory coordination, compelling Liuyang City to promptly establish a special task force. This interdepartmental unit - comprising the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Emergency Management Bureau, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, and Fireworks Administration Center - was tasked with conducting thorough investigations while ensuring expedited legal proceedings against implicated enterprises and individuals.

Investigation Findings

Through rigorous evidentiary review, investigators established that in early 2023:

• Mr. Liu, a resident of Qingcao Village, Gejia Town, leased the former Tianlong Fireworks Factory premises (then mortgaged to an agricultural credit company) from Liuyang Rural Commercial Bank's Qingcao branch.

• The facility contained four finished product warehouses, with Warehouses 1 and 2 repurposed for aquaculture operations.

• During February and April 2023, Mr. Liu sublet the two idle warehouses to Mr. Huang and Mr. Yuan respectively.

• The lessees (Huang, Yuan, and associate Liao) subsequently transported and stored 33,179 fireworks products utilizing trucks without authorized hazardous materials transportation permits.

The Liuyang Municipal Public Security Bureau has lawfully placed the four implicated individuals under administrative detention and initiated a criminal investigation for suspected violation of hazardous operations regulations.

Regarding the involved fireworks enterprises:

1. One wholesale company was found storing fireworks outside its licensed premises, violating the Implementation Measures for Fireworks Business Licensing. The Changsha Emergency Management Bureau has filed an administrative case, proposing:

• Maximum statutory penalties

• Temporary suspension of its fireworks wholesale license

2. Two manufacturing enterprises allegedly:

• Sold products to unlicensed retailers

• Failed to maintain mandatory product tracking records
  Violating the same licensing measures, these cases will be investigated by Liuyang Emergency Management Bureau with proposed sanctions including:

• Maximum fines

• Postponed production resumption approval

Accountability Measures
Township departments and supervising officials failing to:

• Execute territorial oversight duties for illegal activity suppression ("Da Fei Zhi Wei" campaign)

• Respond effectively to the incident
  will face disciplinary actions under Party and government accountability regulations.

  
  

From rigorous implementation of "monetary reward reporting mechanisms" to stringent crackdowns on "illegal fireworks storage", Changsha Emergency Management Bureau has thoroughly executed provincial and municipal "Illegal Activity Suppression Campaign" (打非治违) requirements, delivering tangible results through robust measures.

Key Statistics (Year-to-Date):
✓ 504 violations identified in fireworks sector
✓ 216 cases formally investigated
✓ 267 public reports processed
✓ 49 individuals transferred for criminal prosecution
✓ 1,498 joint enforcement operations conducted
✓ ¥119,580 in whistleblower rewards disbursed

These actions have effectively rectified illegal activities across the fireworks value chain, including:
• Unlicensed production
• Non-compliant operations
• Unauthorized transportation
• Illegal sales
• Unpermitted storage

Next-Phase Action Plan
Changsha City will implement the following measures:

1. Enforce the Provincial Safety Committee’s "Eight Strict Measures" (八个硬措施) against illegal fireworks production

2. Strengthen accountability of county/township governments in "Illegal Activity Suppression"

3. Institutionalize major hazard identification and remediation

4. Launch comprehensive rectification of wholesale (warehousing) enterprises

5. Impose maximum penalties for violations

6. Advance intrinsic safety systems to ensure sustainable industry development