Thirteen people were killed in a blast at an illegal firecracker workshop in central China's Hunan Province on Tuesday.

The blast ripped through a residential house at about 10:50 AM in Luojia village of Yongxing county in Chenzhou city where some villagers were making fireworks. Six others were injured.

Police have detained the two owners of the workshop.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2007)