Six die in China firecracker blast

BEIJING - At least six people were killed and four injured Friday night in a firecracker blast in China’s Hunan province, officials said Saturday.

The incident occurred in Ningxiang county at about 9.30 p.m. when a truck full of raw materials for manufacturing firecrackers hit an electric pole whose wires snapped and set fire to the inflammable material, officials said.

Several nearby houses were damaged, Xinhua reported.