A large explosion at a fireworks factory in northern India has killed at least 22 people and caused the building to catch fire and collapse.
Police officer Mukhtiar Singh said 15 other people were injured in the blast in Batala, a town in Punjab state about 460 kilometres (285 miles) north of New Delhi.
Rescue work is continuing at the site.
Deepak Bhatia, a state government administrator, said the cause of the explosion was being investigated.
The building caught fire after the blast, he said.
Television images showed a brick-lined building that had completely collapsed from the force of the explosion.
News18 television news channel quoted opposition Akali Dal party leader Bikram Singh Mathijia as saying that it was an illegal factory that had existed for years without a licence in a residential area.
Residents complained that authorities had failed to take any action against the factory.
An earlier explosion there in 2017 killed one person, according to the news channel.
Fireworks manufacturing is a big business in India, with firecrackers often used at festivals and weddings.
Many illegal factories produce firecrackers that are cheaper to buy than legally made ones.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here