Eight killed in India factory blast

NEW DELHI: An explosion at an unlicensed firecracker factory killed eight workers and injured 20 other people in eastern India as Hindus celebrated Deepavali, police said.

A police officer said rescuers cleared debris of the collapsed building in a town in Balasore district, Orissa state, yesterday morning.

Seven injured people have been hospitalised, while the others were treated and sent home.

The area is nearly 195km south of Bhubaneshwar, the state capital.

Balasore district administrator Pramod Kumar Das said a huge explosion took place on Wednesday as firecrackers were being made in a house used as a factory without a legal licence, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the blast.

Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories as owners often ignore safety standards.

Setting off firecrackers is part of celebrations during festivals and weddings in India.

In June, another explosion at a fireworks factory killed 23 workers and injured seven others in a village in Madhya Pradesh state, central India.

The explosion triggered a blaze that engulfed the factory before firefighters put it out.