All fireworks producers in Anhui Province were told to suspend production until late September following Sunday's explosion at an illegal fireworks factory that killed seven people.

An emergency circular published by the Anhui Provincial Bureau of Work Safety, after the accident, demanded a thorough safety checkup of the province's 330 registered fireworks factories and a strict ban on illegal production.

Illegal makers can be detained for investigation and officials may face removal or disciplinary punishment if found at fault, the circular said.

An explosion at a fireworks factory in Daxin Town in Taihe County killed seven people and injured 12 others. Most of the workers in the factory were migrant workers above the age of 50.

A preliminary investigation showed Ma Xiuying, a 53-year-old woman, who was killed in the blast, was responsible for the explosion, according to the Taihe County Police Bureau.

According to the police, Ma rented a house to make fireworks without having obtained a license.

Compensation has yet to be decided since Ma was killed in the blast. Her son is in prison, but Xinhua did not report if it was for the fireworks blast or an unrelated crime.

Those injured suffer severe burns and are in hospital.

Police are still trying to track down the source of the raw materials and the sales network.

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2006)