NEW DELHI: A blast at an explosives factory killed at least 17 people and injured 18 others on Sunday, officials in the western Indian state of Maharashtra said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the accident was “deeply distressing” and wished a speedy recovery to the survivors.

Maharashtra state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis called the incident “extremely unfortunate and tragic” in a post on X. The accident happened in Nagpur, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) from state capital Mumbai.

“Rescue operations have been accelerated, and so far, 17 people have lost their lives,” Fadnavis said, adding 18 others were injured. An investigation has been ordered into the incident.

On Saturday, 21 people were killed in an explosion at a firecracker factory in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

Industrial accidents are common in India, often due to disregard for safety requirements and lax enforcement.

Last year, a firework factory explosion in western India killed 21 people.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2026