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Brave China policeman hailed after fireworks death

19 Jan 2007 11:33:13 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, Jan 19 (Reuters) - A brave Chinese policeman who volunteered to clear firework explosives dangerously stored near a kitchen and told his colleagues to keep back was killed when they exploded, state media said on Friday.

Luo Jinyu, 26, was killed by flying bricks from the house which was destroyed in the explosion on Monday, Xinhua news agency said a day after state media warned of substandard fireworks going on sale a month before the Chinese New Year festival.

Luo and his colleagues were cracking down on illegally made firecracker producers in the impoverished southern province of Guizhou, Xinhua said.

"When Luo spotted 8 kilograms of explosives and boxes of home-made (firecracker parts) near a kitchen, he decided to move them away...and to evacuate the nearby residents to a safe place immediately," the agency said.

"The police have called on all officers in the city to learn from Luo Jinyu."

Thousands turned up on Thursday for the funeral of Luo who leaves a wife and a one-year-old son.

Hundreds of firework accidents and explosions happen every year with 445 deaths a year on average, many around the Chinese New Year which this year starts on Feb. 18.

Explosions at a firecracker company in the central province of Henan killed 36 people celebrating the first day of the Lunar New Year in 2006.

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Last updated:Fri Jan 19 11:34:27 2007