At least eleven people have died and 36 injured in an explosion at a firecracker factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district, around 500 kilometres from Chennai. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the blast.

"Fire at a firecracker factory in Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu is saddening. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those injured recover soon. Authorities are working on the ground to assist those affected," he tweeted.

The explosion took place at around 1.30 pm today.

An officer from the local fire department told NDTV: "Friction during mixing of chemicals appears to have caused the explosion".

Ten fire-fighting units from various locations were rushed to the spot to douse the fire, news agency PTI reported.

Source: NDTV

BDST: 1910 HRS, FEB 12, 2021
AP