At least 11 people, including eight children, have been killed after a powerful explosion at a firecracker factory in northern India, authorities said, with rescue teams continuing to search through debris amid fears the toll could rise.
The blast occurred on Monday in Kaushambi district in Uttar Pradesh state, causing extensive damage to nearby buildings. Local authorities said several houses close to the factory collapsed in the explosion, trapping residents beneath the rubble.
Five other people were injured and remain in hospital receiving treatment.
Police said many of those killed lived in homes near the factory rather than inside the facility itself. According to local media reports, the child victims were aged between four and 13.
Officials said all of the victims died after being taken to hospital following the explosion.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known, and an investigation has been launched to determine what triggered the incident.
Emergency workers have been deployed to clear rubble and search for possible survivors in the affected area.
Images and footage from the scene showed damaged buildings and rescue personnel working through debris left by the explosion.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that additional victims could be found as recovery operations continue.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished those injured a swift recovery, according to a statement from his office.
The explosion has renewed concerns over safety standards in India's fireworks industry, where accidents continue to occur despite regulations governing the handling and storage of explosive materials.
Workplace and industrial accidents are a persistent challenge in India, where investigators have often linked deadly incidents to inadequate safety measures and poor enforcement of regulations.
The latest tragedy follows a series of similar incidents earlier this year. In March, a fire at a fireworks factory in western India killed 17 people. A month later, eight people died when a fire broke out at a firecracker storage facility in southern India.
Those incidents prompted renewed calls for tighter oversight of factories handling explosive materials, though fatal accidents continue to occur across the sector.
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