10 die in illegal firecracker factory in India
Lucknow: Officials say 10 people have died in an explosion at a house in northern India where firecrackers were being illegally manufactured.
District Magistrate Rajendra Prasad says the force of Saturday’s explosion killed 10 people and caused the house where the fireworks were being made and two neighboring ones to collapse.
Prasad says six other people were injured and that it was unclear how many people were inside the house during the blast.
The incident took place in Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh, 300 kilometers (186 miles) southeast of the state capital, Lucknow. The city is known for its carpet-export industry.
The business of manufacturing illegal firecrackers is rampant in India. The firecrackers are used in festivals and weddings, and sell cheaply compared to legally made fireworks.