[originaltext] Firecrackers that had been trucked to the desert in northwest C

Firecrackers that had been trucked to the desert in northwest China to be destroyed have exploded as they were dumped into a ditch, killing 25 people and leaving five others missing. China Central Television reported that nine people were injured by the blast Wednesday evening in the northwest region of Xinjiang, including two who were in critical condition. The accident happened in the Gobi Desert outside the city of Turpan. Footage aired on CCTV Showed a large patch of brown sand that bad been burned black and several sport utility vehicles reduced to charred shells. One was flipped on its back. CCTV said 904 boxes of firecrackers had been scheduled to be destroyed.