Two accidents kill 19 in China

Detonators and fireworks hidden under a load of coal blew up during an inspection of the truck that was carrying them in southern China, killing nine people and injuring 14 others, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Wednesday.

The blast on Tuesday at a traffic inspection post in Jiangxi province occurred as inspectors were probing the load of coal with steel rods, Xinhua said. Detonators and fireworks hidden under the coal exploded, it said.