India firecracker factory blaze kills 20

A blaze broke out at a firecracker factory in southern India on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring six others, police said.

Local police chief N Shreenatha told AFP that "20 people are confirmed dead" after the incident at a licensed factory in Tamil Nadu state's Virudhunagar district.

Rescuers were still operating at the site, he said, adding that the cause of the blaze was unknown. Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to poor adherence to safety regulations and weak enforcement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post, extended his "condolences to those who have lost their loved ones" in the "deeply distressing" incident.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said the deaths were "tragic", expressing his "immense sorrow" in a post on X.

"I have requested the esteemed Ministers KKSSR Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu to rush to the scene immediately to expedite and monitor the rescue operations and to offer solace to the affected families," he said.