BEIJING ( 2008-03-27 13:34:13 ) :
Journalists and police officers were among 25 people killed in a fireworks explosion in a remote part of northwestern China, state media reported.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday night as authorities were trying to destroy eight truckloads of fireworks in the Gobi desert near Turpan city in Xinjiang, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Twenty-two people were killed immediately, and three died later, Xinhua said.
Five people are still missing and two others are in hospital with serious injuries, Xinhua said, citing a local official.
The victims include police officers, staff of a local explosion detonation company and journalists covering the event, Xinhua said.
Seven of the eight trucks that were used to transport the fireworks were destroyed, the report said, but no details were given as to how the explosion occurred.
China has a huge fireworks industry that is notorious for its lax safety standards.
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