India firecracker factory blast toll hits 25

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India firecracker factory blast toll hits 25

11:34 CAT | 08 Jun 2017

AP / Rescuers remove charred bodies after an explosion in a firecracker factory in India.

The death toll from an explosion at a firecracker factory in central India has risen to 25, an official said on Thursday, after five workers died overnight.

Emergency workers removed at least 20 charred bodies from the mangled structure after a fire hit gunpowder stocks triggering a blast at the workshop in the Balaghat district of the Madhya Pradesh state.

“Three more workers are in a serious condition, said Balaghat government official Bharat Yadav and seven others were being treated in hospital.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident and have charged the factory owner with criminally negligent manslaughter, but have not yet been able to arrest him.

Workplace accidents are common in India, where poor safety standards and lax enforcement of regulations have led to horrific deaths.

An explosion set off by a blaze at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu killed 20 workers in October.

Five workers were killed in a similar incident in northern Uttar Pradesh state in November.

Source: AFP