New Delhi - At least 17 people were killed and 21 injured in a blaze in a fireworks factory in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, police said Wednesday. Three of the victims were said to be in a critical condition after sustaining serious burns in the fire Tuesday night in a suburb of Madurai city, 500 kilometres south of state capital Chennai.
District police chief M Manoharan said eight people died at the scene while the others succumbed to burn injuries in hospital.
"The incident happened when workers were packing crackers. It set off explosions in the factory that caused the building to collapse," Manoharan said on the telephone.
Firemen battled the blaze, which swept through the stores of the factory causing fireworks to explode, for over four hours. The fire was brought under control only after midnight.
Police said a water shortage in the area hampered the fire-fighting efforts.
The southern Indian state frequently reports deadly accidents at fireworks factories, which often operate illegally and do not follow safety measures.
