(MENAFN- Gulf Times) At least 21 people have been killed and up to 26 injured after a massive explosion at a firecracker factory in Punjab.
Nearby cars and buildings were damaged in the blast that occurred at the plant in the town of Batala in Gurudaspur district.
'We have already taken out 21 dead bodies from the firecracker factory, police inspector Mukhtar Singh said.
'Another 25 or 26 people, mostly labourers working at the unit, have been rushed to nearby hospitals with injuries. The factory is in a bustling neighbourhood and authorities fear the death toll could rise further.
It is not known how many people were inside the factory when the explosion occurred.
The dead included the factory's owner and his son.
Rescue workers, including from the National Disaster Response Force, were searching for survivors. An elderly woman and her grandchild, who were walking by near the factory, were among the dead.
Cabinet minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who reached the accident scene, announced a compensation of Rs200,000 to the families of the dead and Rs50,000 for the injured.
The government ordered a magisterial probe into the incident.
Locals complained that the firecracker unit was running illegally for the past several years.
'We have complained against the factory seven-eight times to the local administration, but no action has been taken against it, a local resident said.
He said a similar blast occurred in the area in January 2017, leaving one person dead and three injured.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted that he was 'deeply anguished to learn of the loss of lives.
Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol too expressed grief .
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