Blasts in a privately-run fireworks workshop in south China's Guangdong Province left four people died and six injured, officials said on Saturday.

The explosions occurred at around 7:30 AM on Friday in Maoming City, killing a policeman and a security guardian and two workers.

According to Guangdong officials, six policemen and security personnel rushed to the fireworks workshop after they received reports that an explosion took place at 7:20 a.m., but killing no one.

Soon after they arrived, a much more destructive blast broke out, killing Ke Yayun, a security guardian and an unidentified worker on the spot. Twenty-three year-old policeman Che Kejian and Fan Jinhua, a 35 year-old migrant worker from Guangxi, died later in a local hospital.

The blast injured another six people and tore through five warehouses used to stock firecrackers.

Provincial work safety officials and police have started to investigate the causes of the blasts and vowed to apprehend the owner of the workshop who have fled after the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2007)