An explosion in a village workshop in Hezhou, Guangxi, has killed one child and injured 13 others.

Of these victims, five were reported to have burns covering 90% of their bodies, five others suffered 55%-78% burns, and three 12%-40% burns.

Preliminary investigations found that the victims range from seven to 15 years old and all of them are migrant workers children living with their grandparents. Some of them get up as early as at 03:00 to work in the illegal workshop to make some pocket money. They usually worked one to two hours each time and were paid CNY1 per hour. Surprisingly, the grandparents of most of the children said that they were unaware of the fact that their grandchildren had been used as cheap labor.

Xie Qingsui, a villager of Shangyang Village, Gonghui Town, Pinggui Management Zone, was accused of causing the explosion in his fire cracker business where the children worked. Xie fled after the explosion and was arrested later. Yang Wanwen, in whose home Xie ran his business, surrendered himself to the police department following the explosion.

Yang Youji, an official from Yanghui Village where Yang Wanwen lives, mourned after the accident that if all these children had had the right care and education from their parents, this tragedy might never take place.

It is learned that 70% of the young laborers in Yanghui Village went to work in cities and left their children to be taken care of by their grandparents. But due to their old age and physical status, these old people can not offer a proper family education to the children.

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