FAISALABAD, March 23: Two people, including a woman, were killed while nine others, including five children, sustained injuries in a fireworks explosion in Makuana, about 20 kilometres from here on Faisalabad-Jaranwala Road, on Tuesday.

Aslam, the owner of a factory, was preparing fireworks with the help of his family members and a dozen employees, including children, when the material caught fire when one of the boys tried to light a cigarette and exploded.

Aslam, 33, and his aunt Nooran, 47, died on the spot while nine others sustained injuries. The area people gathered on the spot and shifted the injured people to the Allied Hospital.

The injured are Razia, sister-in-law of Aslam, Zahid, 10, Rizwan, 8, Shazia, 9, Sajid, 11, Irfan, 7, Waris, 10, Naveed, 30, and Shakir. The condition of injured Zahid and Rizwan was stated to be critical.