The death toll from an explosion at a firework factory in India has reached 11, and the two owners have been taken into custody, police reported on Wednesday following the tragic incident the day before. District police chief Sanjeev Kumar Kanchan confirmed the 11 deaths and stated that over 150 individuals were injured. The powerful explosion caused debris from the factory in Harda town, located in India’s central Madhya Pradesh state, to be thrown great distances. Sargam Jain, who works approximately 100 meters from the factory, mentioned, “A whole concrete column landed in my property.” Local resident Shanti Jaisani, a lawyer, described the event, saying, “There was a deafening noise and the earth shook. We thought a helicopter had crashed in our town.” Fireworks are extremely popular in India, especially during the Hindu festival of Diwali and for use during wedding celebrations. Unfortunately, explosions in firecracker workshops are a common occurrence in the country due to many factories neglecting basic safety requirements. In 2019, at least 18 people were killed in a firework factory explosion in Batala, Punjab, and another 10 were killed in a similar incident in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh. State Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered an investigation into the disaster and has asserted, “The guilty will be punished.”