New Delhi: At least eight people, including some women, died and many others were injured when a series of powerful blasts ripped apart the house where firecrackers were stored in India's eastern state of Bihar on Friday evening, local police confirmed.
Multiple explosions reportedly continued for more than an hour before a huge fire erupted inside the house in the state's Siwan district, and part of the house collapsed as a result.
Senior district officials rushed to the site to oversee the rescue operation. Police said the injured were admitted to a local hospital and the rescue operation was still ongoing.
The death toll was feared to rise as some among the injured were in a critical condition.
According to the police, a large quantity of firecrackers was stored inside the ill-fated house ahead of the Diwali festival, which falls on November 8.
