Police in eastern China have arrested two people over a weekend explosion at an illegal fireworks factory that killed 13, state media reported on Monday.
Ling Xien and his wife Lao Lanying were arrested for setting up the factory in Shandong province without authorisation and claiming that it was a paint factory, Xinhua news agency said, quoting police.
Saturday's explosion in the city of Weifang killed 13 of the 16 employees of the illegal plant, a converted brick kiln, Xinhua has said.
China's huge fireworks industry is notorious for its lax safety standards, especially among smaller producers.
The accident comes at a time when factories typically step up production to meet heavy demand for the Lunar New Year festival, China's biggest annual holiday.hxen.com
Fireworks are a key part of celebrations for the holiday, which falls on January 26 this year.
One person was killed in a separate blast Sunday morning at another illegal factory in Guozhuang city in the northern province of Hebei, Xinhua reported earlier.
So far, 11 people have died since mid-November in four separate blasts at illegal fireworks plants throughout the country, it said, quoting the national work-safety commission.
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