A truck loaded with fireworks fuses crashed into a power-line pole in central China and the ensuing explosion left nine people dead, authorities said. The accident, which occurred Friday in Hunan province, left nine others injured, the state-run news agency Xinhua reported. People living nearby said the blast sounded like thunder, and it was powerful enough to destroy not only the truck but nearby houses. It also broke windows and cracked walls hundreds of yards away, Xinhua said. The truck was loaded with 600 53-pound boxes of fireworks fuses. A fireworks plant is located near the accident site. The cause of the crash was being investigated.
