One person was killed and several others were injured in a firework factory blast in central China's Henan Province, confirmed local sources on Sunday.

The blast ripped through the storehouse of the Caihong firework factory in Xiaodi village of northeast Henan's Puyang City at 4:10 a.m. Sunday, killing the keeper on the spot.

Several villagers were injured and crevices could be seen on the walls of many nearby houses.

"It's horrible," said a villager surnamed Li who was asleep when the blast occurred, "I thought it was an earthquake."

The Caihong firework factory was operating with legal licenses.

Further investigation was carried out on the cause of the accident, casualties and losses.

Safety in firework factories raised public concern last year, when a fatal explosion in Henan during the Spring Festival killed 36 people. Manager of the factory was sentenced to death.

Last month a firework factory blast in north China's Inner Mongolia claimed five lives.

(Xinhua News Agency September 16, 2007)