Fire tenders rushed to the spot to put down the flames. (Representational)
At least five people were killed and as many injured in a blast at a firecracker shop in Sankarapuram town in Kallakurichi district in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, police said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed grief over the incident and announced cash relief of Rs five lakh to each of the victims' families.
"At least five persons, suspected to be owner and workers, at the firecracker shop put up in Sankarapuram ahead of Diwali, were killed," a senior police officer told PTI.
The five people, who sustained injuries in the blast, were admitted to the Kallakurichi government hospital, he said.
Fire tenders from Sankarapuram and Kallakurichi rushed to the spot to put down the flames, even as the sudden blast leading to the explosion of the firecrackers caused a panic in the town.
Meanwhile, Mr Stalin, in a tweet, expressed his condolences to the families of the victim.
Besides providing relief to them, he also announced Rs one lakh each to the injured persons under intensive care.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)