By Mubasshir Mushtaq
MUMBAI, India
At least 11 people have been killed and seven others injured after an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in India's eastern state of West Bengal, local media reported.
The powerful blast took place early on Thursday morning in the factory where 33 people were reportedly working at the time.
According to J P Meena, a senior district official, police teams have recovered 11 bodies from the blast site, reported The Indian Express daily.
The explosion was so powerful that it caused cracks in several houses close to the firecracker factory.
The 11 dead included Ram Maity, the co-owner and his wife, in whose house the illegal firecracker making factory was being run.
Ranjan Maity, the other co-owner and local party worker of ruling state party Trinamool Congress Party, was arrested by the police on Thursday morning as he tried to flee.
Explosions at small and unorganized firecracker factories are quite common in India. In November 2013, six people died in a firecracker factory explosion in southern state of Tamil Nadu.
