At least six people were killed and six others injured in an explosion on Sunday in a firecrackers unit in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district, police said
The accident occurred in Gokulapadu village of S. Rayavaram mandal, about 100 km from coastal city of Visakhapatnam.
Police said loud explosions were heard and fire destroyed the building. Fire tenders from nearby villages rushed to the scene.
The injured were shifted to a hospital in Visakhapatnam. The toll may go up as the injured are in critical condition.
The cause of the explosion and fire is under investigations, police said. Senior police and civil officials rushed to the village to monitor rescue and relief work.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has announced Rs.2 lakh compensation each to the families of those killed. He also directed officials to extend all possible help to the injured.