Five killed in blast in fireworks factory in Tamil Nadu

Five people were killed and six injured in an explosion at a fireworks factory near Sivakasi in the district on Thursday, police said.

More than ten sheds where chemicals had been stored were razed to the ground in the mishap, the second such incident this month in a cracker manufacturing unit in this region, the country's fireworks hub.

Fire and Rescue service teams battled the blaze in the unit at Kalayar Kurichi, police said, adding the injured were rushed to hospitals.

The cause of the explosion was not known immediately.

More than 20 people had died and around 30 injured in a major explosion in a fireworks unit at Acchankulam village near Sattur in this district on February 2.