NEW DELHI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least three persons were killed and three others injured in an explosion that ripped through an illegal firecracker factory in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh Saturday, police said.
The mishap occurred at the firecracker unit in the state's Rajahmahendravaram district.
"The blast occurred when fireworks were being made in a thatched house this morning. Three persons were charred to death while three injured have been hospitalized," local police chief Shemushi Bajpayee told media.
A probe has been ordered into the incident, he added.
Accidental explosions are common at Indian fireworks factories, which provide firecrackers for the festival of lights and weddings. Smaller units mostly function illegally and some get work outsourced by large factories.
