Firecracker factory fire kills 23 in India

The Associated Press

NEW DELHI — A big fire broke out in a firecracker factory in western India on Friday, killing at least 23 people and injuring another 48, an official said.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Yogesh Pawar, a medical officer, as saying that the injured were being treated at a hospital near Jalgaon, a town in western Maharashtra state. The region is nearly 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) west of New Delhi.

Pawar said the fire killed 23 factory workers, according to PTI.

Officials could not be immediately reached for comments.

Police were investigating the cause of the fire, PTI said.

Several big cities and small towns of India have illegal factories making firecrackers, which are used during festivals, weddings and religious ceremonies. Some illegal workshops operate in homes.

Nearly all the clandestine factories have minimal safety standards and fatal explosions are a regular occurrence.