7 die in cracker shop blast

Mumbai: At least seven people were killed early Thursday in a fire at a firecracker shop in Rajasthan’s Barmer district, police said. The incident took place around 1 a.m. at the shop in Balotra area of the district, over 430 kms from the state capital Jaipur. “We have so far recovered seven bodies from the shop while rescue operation is still on,” Barmer Superintendent of Police Hemant Sharma told IANS on phone. “It seems that these seven people were trapped inside the shop when the fire broke out,” Sharma said. “The fire has been extinguished and we have started investigations into its cause,” he added.