Chandigarh:

Two migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh were killed in a blast at a firecracker factory in a village in Haryana’s Bhiwani district on Wednesday, police said.

A youngster and a woman were sorting the firecrackers when there was a blast, leading to their deaths, the police said.

Both the victims were migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bawani Khera SHO Pawan Kumar said over the phone.

The police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the blast. Ambulances were also rushed in but the two succumbed to their injuries on the spot, he said.

“Two people died and we were told that both were above 18. They were handling the crackers when there was a blast,” Mr Kumar said.

Only the two victims were working inside at the time of the blast, he said.

Asked what could have triggered the blast, the officer said, “Many firecrackers had been stored. An electric short-circuit may have triggered the blast … all these things are being investigated.” The police are looking for the factory owner, who fled after the accident.

“We have not got any document from anyone to establish if the factory was running in a legal or illegal manner. We are investigating,” Mr Kumar said and added that a case under relevant provisions of the law has been registered.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)