47 dead after explosions at fireworks factory

Forty-seven people were killed and dozens injured yesterday in two explosions and a fire at a fireworks factory in Indonesia, with the death toll expected to rise.

Thick plumes of dark smoke billowed from a warehouse in Tangerang, an industrial and manufacturing hub on the island of Java, to the west of the capital, Jakarta.

Hours later the burnt-out factory was still smouldering and there was a strong smell of burning plastic and chemicals, local media reported.

Witnesses said there were two explosions, one at about 10am (3am GMT) and another about three hours later, both of which could be heard miles away.