A powerful explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in Malta on Monday, sending a huge plume of smoke into the sky and rattling nearby homes. Several people were injured, while fireworks continued exploding for hours after the initial blast.

The explosion happened at the Ta' Lourdes factory on the north side of the Mediterranean island on Monday morning

State media China Daily said the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co. in the Changsha-administered, county-level city of Liuyang, a prominent