Balaghat: At least 20 people were killed and several others were injured in an explosion inside a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district on Wednesday.

The incident was reported from Barsa cracker factory in Khari village.

The blaze started around 3 pm in the factory located around 10 km from the district headquarters in the Kotwali police station limits, Additional Director General of Police (Balaghat range) G Janardhan told PTI.

Officials said the condition of two of the injured is critical.

Multiple blasts were reported from the site due to large stocks of firecrackers. Senior officials from police and administration reached the spot and sent the injured to hospital.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next kin of the deceased. The state government would also bear the medical expenses of the injured.