GUJARAT, India, April 1: A devastating fire following an explosion at a firecracker factory and warehouse in the Indian state of Gujarat, claimed the lives of 17 workers on Tuesday, officials confirmed.

The blaze erupted at Deepak Traders in Deesa, creating chaos and hampering rescue operations as the factory's structure collapsed. District Collector Mihir Patel stated that firefighters from the Deesa Municipality, alongside 108 ambulance teams, responded promptly to the scene.

Initially, Patel reported six fatalities, but as firefighters worked to control the fire and search through the debris, the death toll rose. Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion was triggered by a boiler malfunction. The intensity of the blast and the subsequent fire caused parts of the building to collapse.

The fire has been extinguished, and cooling operations are ongoing. Rescue teams are actively clearing the debris. In addition to local fire and rescue teams, a unit from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) has been deployed to aid in the recovery efforts, according to officials speaking to news agency PTI.