A blast at an explosives factory in India’s western state of Maharashtra killed at least 17 people and injured 18 others on Sunday, officials said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident “deeply distressing” and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the explosion as “extremely unfortunate and tragic” in a post on X.
The accident happened in Nagpur, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) from state capital Mumbai.
"Rescue operations have been accelerated, and so far, 17 people have lost their lives," Fadnavis said, adding 18 others were injured.
An investigation has been ordered into the incident.
On Saturday, 21 people were killed in an explosion at a firecracker factory in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to disregard for safety requirements and lax enforcement.
Last year, a firework factory explosion in western India killed 21 people.
