Explosion at India firecracker factory kills 11

An explosion at a firecracker factory in northern India on Monday killed at least 11 people, including eight children, police said.

The powerful explosion in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh state caused the collapse of several nearby houses where most of the dead resided, according to local media reports.

The deceased children were between the ages of four and 13, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

Police officer Satnarayan Prajapat confirmed the deaths, adding several others were injured in the explosion.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast.

Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to poor adherence to safety regulations.

In March, a fire at a fireworks factory in western India killed 17 people. 

The following month, eight people were killed when a firecracker storage facility in southern India caught fire.