At least eight people were killed and 15 others injured, including two critically, after a fire broke out at a firecracker storage facility in southern India’s Kerala state, police said on Tuesday.
Police chief Nakul Rajendra Deshmukh said rescue operations had been completed and the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Local media reported that the blaze erupted during preparations for a Hindu festival.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to the families of the victims, saying he was “saddened” by the loss of lives.
The incident comes days after a similar fire at a firecracker factory in neighbouring Tamil Nadu state killed 20 people, highlighting recurring industrial accidents in India’s fireworks sector, often linked to safety lapses and weak enforcement of regulations.