Fireworks Factory Explosions Kills Child Workers

An explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in China killed 13 child laborers locked in a courtyard and injured 16 others, a Chinese news agency reported Thursday.

The children, between the ages of 7 and 14, were employed by the factory in Tanpeng village, in eastern China, during their school vacation, the official China News Service said.

Co-owner Liu Ya salvaged his property and fled after the Oct. 20 explosion rather than rescue the children, but was arrested four days later, the report said. The agency did not say what caused the blast.