In a New Year Day tragedy, at least 9 were killed and 12 others were injured when a major blast, followed by a fire, swept through a firecrackers factory at Barshi village on Maharashtra's Solapur on Sunday.
Eyewitnesses said that a huge blast rocked the vicinity followed by flames in the unit, where at least 40 workers were engaged in making firecrackers there at the time.
Just a few hours before the accident in Barshi, in another incident at Nashik's Igatpuri, at least two died and 17 were injured after a major fire broke at the Jindal Polyfilm factory.
The blaze erupted at the unit located at Shirala in Barshi taluka around 3 pm, an official said.
"There was a blast inside the firecracker manufacturing unit, which led to the fire," he said.
"After being alerted, the fire brigade and police personnel rushed to the spot and started a rescue operation," he said.
Barshi is located around 400 km from Mumbai.
