North China's Hebei Province has ordered an immediate halt in production at all fireworks factories until they have been investigated for safety.

The order was issued by the provincial government at an emergency conference on safe production, held in Xinji City where a fireworks and firecracker plant exploded Monday.

According to the meeting, accident-prone fireworks and firecracker plants and small coal mines in the province would undergo a thorough overhaul to threats to safety. Certain plants with poor safety standards would be shut down.

(Xinhua News Agency   July 31, 2003)