Four killed in Vietnam fireworks blast

Fireworks intended for Hanoi's upcoming 1,000th birthday celebration exploded prematurely yesterday, killing four people and injuring three others.

One Singaporean and two Vietnamese were among the dead, while another body was burned beyond recognition and would require DNA testing for positive identification, police said. The injured included technicians from Singapore and Germany, said another officer.

The blast occurred just before noon at My Dinh National Stadium, one of 29 sites in the capital where fireworks were to mark Sunday's anniversary bash.