Blaze at firecracker factory kills 16

A fire tore through a firecracker factory in southern India, killing at least 16 people and injuring an additional 25, reports confirmed today.

The fire last night in Madurai, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, claimed eight lives immediately, while the other people died on the way to the hospital.

The cause of fire was not immediately known.

The area is about 275 miles (440 km) southwest of state capital Chennai.