5 workers killed in India firecracker factory fire

Indian children watch fireworks at the Madan Mohan Malviya stadium during Diwali Festival in Allahabad on October 18, 2017. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, marks the triumph of good over evil, and commemorates the return of Hindu deity Rama to his birthplace Ayodhya after victory against the demon king Ravana. / AFP PHOTO / SANJAY KANOJIA

PATNA, India — Police said a fire at an illegal firecracker factory in an eastern Indian town has killed at least five workers and injured another 12.

Police officer Sudhir Kumar Porika said the injured have been hospitalized, and five of them are in critical condition.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. But authorities said it erupted while the workers were making firecrackers on Thursday night in Biharsharif, a town in Bihar state.

India has a huge demand for firecrackers, which are used in religious festivals and weddings.

There are fatal accidents nearly every year in India as people work in makeshift factories in the absence of proper safety standards.

In June last year, 23 workers were killed when a blast occurred while they were producing firecrackers in Madhya Pradesh state.                        /kga