Eight people died and 13 others were injured when an expressway viaduct partially collapsed due to an explosion involving a truck carrying fireworks Friday morning in central China's Henan Province, rescuers and local authorities said.

The explosion occurred at 8:52 am on a 30-meter-high viaduct in Mianchi County, Sanmenxia City, a publicity official of Sanmenxia told Xinhua on Friday afternoon.

An 80-meter-long section of the southern lane of the viaduct collapsed after the explosion, according to an initial investigation.

At least 25 vehicles fell from the viaduct, nine of which had been pulled from debris as of 5 pm, according the rescue headquarters at the scene.

Six people died at the scene of the accident, while two others died on the way to the hospital. Of the 13 injured, at least four are in serious condition, rescuers said.

Search and rescue efforts are underway, and traffic controls have been put in place on the expressway linking Lianyungang City of east China's Jiangsu Province and Horgos, a border port in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the country's far west.

Accidents involving fireworks are likely to occur around this time of the year in China, as setting off fireworks is a traditional way to celebrate the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 10 this year.

A fireworks blast in north China's Hebei Province on Jan. 18 destroyed the two-story home where the explosives were stored, killing three people and injuring 11 others.

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