Firecracker explosion kills 21

Explosives intended for making fireworks detonated in an apartment building, killing 21 people and injuring more than two dozen others, state media reported on Saturday.

The explosion on Friday in central Jiangxi province completely leveled the five story structure and shattered windows in buildings as far as 200 metres away, the government's Xinhua News Agency reported.

The blast occurred as independent fireworks maker Huang Yuexiang was transferring 2 tons of explosives purchased illegally in northern China from his truck to a storage space in the apartment building. The report did not say what sparked the explosion or whether Huang was among the dead.

Another 26 people were injured in the blast, two of them seriously, Xinhua said.

An investigation into the cause has been launched under orders from Jiangxi's governor and Communist Party leadership, the report said.

Telephones were not being answered at government offices in Shangyi township where the blast occurred.

Widespread disregard for industrial safety and lax enforcement lead to frequent deadly accidents in the mainland. Poor controls over dynamite and other explosives make them widely available.