Deadly Blaze at India Fireworks Factory ‘Kills 31’
At least 31 people have been killed and 20 others injured in a massive blaze at a fireworks factory in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police say.
Television channels showed black smoke rising into the sky above the factory. Reports said casualties could rise.
The incident took place in the town of Sivakasi, the hub of India’s firecracker industry.
The town has thousands of factories and produces about 90% of India’s fireworks.
M Ramamurthy, deputy superintendent of police for Virudhunagar district where Sivakasi town is located, told the BBC that 31 bodies had been taken out from the Om Shakti factory.