A store owner of a fireworks and firecrackers shop in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, recently committed suicide by drinking pesticide after reporting a Communist Party official with his real name and failed rescue efforts lead to his death.
According to mainland media “Jiupai News”, the official announcement from Chenzhou City authorities on December 1st stated that recently, the owner of a fireworks and firecrackers shop in Beihu District reported a public official surnamed Peng for suspected violations and irregularities, and posted a video of himself drinking what appeared to be “Paraquat” on the internet. Chenzhou City police have found the shop owner surnamed Peng, and he is currently receiving medical treatment.
A netizen claiming to be a friend of Peng surnamed shop owner posted on the 2nd, stating that the person involved has passed away. He responded to media inquiries by saying that his friend passed away early this morning at around 6 o’clock in the Intensive Care Unit of the First People’s Hospital in Chenzhou City after unsuccessful rescue efforts, and the body has been sent to the funeral home. A hospital insider told the media that the person did indeed pass away around 6 o’clock today, stating, “The amount of poison was too large, exceeding the lethal dose by many times.”
Prior to this incident, an explosion occurred at a fireworks retail store in Beihu District of Chenzhou, Hunan on November 30th. Videos circulated online showed the scene of the explosion with a loud bang, flames shooting up, and thick smoke billowing. The walls of the shop collapsed, and the shockwave from the explosion caused a white sedan parked on the side of the road to overturn and catch fire. It was reported that 3 people were rushed to the hospital in emergency.
According to local sources, the store owner of the fireworks shop was reportedly facing obstacles in obtaining sales permits, resulting in a large backlog of inventory. “It is said that he had over 10 million yuan worth of goods, prepared for sale during the Chinese New Year, but the business permit submission was stuck many times and couldn’t be processed. With no way out, he drank pesticide, and the house also exploded,” a source said.
Around the time of the explosion incident, a public report bearing the name of the legal representative of the shop, Peng Haiyong, accused officials while drinking “poison” in a car and went viral online. The report accused local officials of long-term corruption, abuse of power, and ended with a “final statement.”
Several local residents and insiders revealed to Epoch Times that the shop owner may have been driven to a dead-end by government pressure, choosing to ignite the fireworks products as a form of protest and resistance.
The connection between this explosion incident and the “death report letter”, which has quickly sparked public concern about collusion between officials and businesses, as well as the shady practices within the industry.