NEW DELHI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- At least five persons died and more than 25 were injured in a blast inside a firecracker manufacturing unit in India's northern state of Punjab on Thursday, confirmed a local cop over the phone.
The factory was located near a village in Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib district. All the victims were laborers engaged in the manufacturing and packaging of firecrackers.
The two-storey building collapsed in the blast, trapping the workers under its debris.
According to the police officer, those injured had been admitted to nearby government hospitals, and a probe was ordered to determine the cause of the blast.
Rescue work was still on, and efforts were being made to ensure that no one was trapped under the rubble. ■
