Deadly blast at India’s fireworks factory kills 13

At least 13 people have been killed after an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in India’s southern state of Kerala.

The incident occurred in Thrissur district, where about 40 workers were reportedly engaged in assembling firecrackers across a cluster of sheds ahead of a local festival, BBC reports.

Several others sustained injuries, with five of them said to be in critical condition.

The explosion was powerful enough to be felt several kilometres away, with some residents initially believing it was an earthquake. Nearby houses also suffered damage as a result of the blast.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and confusion, with locals joining rescue operations and helping pull out both the injured and the dead from the site.

While municipal chairman PN Surendran suggested that high afternoon temperatures may have triggered the explosion, authorities said the exact cause is still under investigation. 

“There is still no clarity on how many workers were in the shed or the extent of injuries. It is suspected that extreme heat may have contributed to this tragic incident,” Surendran told reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced financial compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,137; £1,582) for the families of those killed, along with 50,000 rupees for the injured.

The tragedy marks the second such incident within a week. On April 19, another explosion at a firecracker facility in neighbouring Tamil Nadu state left at least 25 people dead.

By Jeyhun Aghazada