Chennai, May 9 (IANS): Eight people, including two women, were killed in a blast at a fireworks factory in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu's Virudhanagar district on Thursday, while several others were injured, officials said.
Police and fire personnel reached the spot for rescue operations and the injured, which include two in serious condition, were being taken to the Virudhunagar government medical college and hospital.
Further details were awaited.
Sivakasi is the "fireworks capital" of India with an annual turnover of Rs 6,000 crore and employing more than 1 lakh people directly and around two and half lakh people indirectly.