Guangzhou warehouse blast death toll rises to 8

GUANGZHOU - The death toll from a warehouse explosion in South China's Guangzhou City has risen to eight as of Wednesday evening, local police said.

The blast happened at 11:50 am on Tuesday in a roadside storehouse in Guangzhou's Baiyun District, when workers were unloading goods from a container truck. A total of 36 people were injured.

The eight dead were mainly stevedores, according to the police.

Investigation showed the goods unloaded were bullets with powder for toy pistols, the production and circulation of which is forbidden in China, the city's information office said in a press release.

The press release called the explosion "an accident," saying loads of bullets exploded in the truck container, and the explosion then ignited goods in a room of the storehouse.

Three people, including a Jordanian, the owner of the goods, have been detained by police.

Rescuers are still clearing the site as there might be new victims, while residue of exploded bullets can be spotted.

The injured are in stable conditions. As of noon on Wednesday, 15 slightly wounded people have been discharged from hospital.

The Zengbao Warehouse, which covers an area of 8,000 square meters, is mainly used to store shoes, clothes, hardware and electrical appliances.

Worker Fan Zengyin was about 50 meters away from where the explosion occurred, but his son, Fan Zukun, also a worker at the warehouse, was killed in the blast.

"Most of the people working here are migrant workers. The business is open to everyone. Once a vehicle arrives here, we come up for a job and get paid a piece rate. My son had worked here for about 20 days," said Fan.

"Usually, goods are wrapped in sacks. We have no idea what's inside, neither are we allowed to pry," he said.

The warehouse, separated into 110 parts, has been open for business since 2005. Regular renters include foreigners, according to He Shunqiang, a local official.

The storehouse is subject to a safety examination at least once a month, added He.