6 killed, 8 injured in explosion at firecracker factory in India

NEW DELHI, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- At least six workers were killed and eight others injured Wednesday in an explosion that triggered a massive fire inside a firecracker factory in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, police said.

The incident took place in Rayavaram area of Konaseema district, about 214 km northeast of Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh.

Police said the incident occurred while workers were engaged in the manufacture of firecrackers at the unit.

Preliminary investigation showed that the fire started in the explosive storage unit, reportedly due to some mishandling, according to police.