CHANDIGARH: Five people were killed and 34 injured in a blast at a firecracker factory at Muktsar in Punjab. The two-storey building where the factory was operating was completely destroyed in the blast. It is reported that many people are still trapped under the rubble. Rescue operations are still underway at the site. The factory is owned by Tarsem Singh.

The blast was at 2 am Friday morning. The seriously injured have been admitted to AIIMS in Bathinda. The cause of the blast is not clear, Lambi DSP Jaspal Singh told media. A large number of public representatives have reached the spot. The names of the dead are not yet known. Most of the factory workers were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

‘The blast was Friday early morning. Our team immediately reached the spot. Five bodies have been recovered so far. It is believed that no one is trapped anymore. However, the rescue operation is still in progress. The condition of all the injured undergoing treatment is satisfactory. The firecracker manufacturing and packing were done at the same place. Initial investigation revealed that many workers were staying in the factory,’ Lambi Deputy Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh told a national media.