At least two people were killed and four others seriously injured after a powerful explosion tore through a firecracker manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The incident has once again raised concerns over safety compliance at small-scale firecracker facilities operating in rural areas, reported PTI.

Explosion during chemical mixing triggers deadly blaze

The blast occurred around noon at a makeshift unit operating from a tin shed inside an old farmhouse in Konsai village of Wada taluka. According to local authorities, nearly 35 workers - most of them women - were present at the site and engaged in producing thread-bound firecrackers when the explosion took place, reported PTI.