Wang Zhonglin dispatched to the Hubei Provincial Committee's duty office to coordinate the emergency response and disposal work of the Yicheng fireworks and firecracker explosion accident.

At 14:24 on February 18th, a fireworks and firecracker retail store in Zhengji Town, Yicheng City, Xiangyang, exploded, resulting in 12 deaths. Upon receiving the report, Wang Zhonglin, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress, immediately issued instructions and arrangements, and connected to the scene of the accident through video in the provincial party committee's duty room to discuss and deploy emergency response work. After understanding the progress of the relevant work, Wang Zhonglin made clear requirements for the next steps. He emphasized the need to quickly establish an accident investigation team, promptly determine the cause of the accident, objectively, accurately, and timely announce the results to the society, and seriously hold relevant responsibilities in accordance with the law and regulations. Efforts should be made to properly handle the aftermath of the victims, organize special work teams, provide emotional comfort and psychological counseling to the families of the victims one-on-one, and sincerely solve practical difficulties. Careful arrangements should be made to ensure the production and living of the masses affected by the accident and maintain social order and stability. Xiangyang City should deeply learn from this lesson, take immediate action, conduct a comprehensive investigation and rectification of hidden risks in key areas such as fireworks and firecrackers, hazardous chemicals, fire safety, and transportation throughout the city, and resolutely plug safety loopholes. All departments and regions in the province should learn from this incident, sound the alarm, resolutely overcome complacency and the mentality of luck, implement safety production measures in a solid and detailed manner, and fully ensure the safety of people's lives and property. Peng Yong, member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Secretary-General, participated in the coordination.