Death toll from Indian firecracker warehouse blast rises to 21

NEW DELHI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a blast and inferno at a firecracker warehouse in India's western state of Gujarat has risen to 21, officials said Wednesday.

Six people injured in the incident are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

An explosion inside the warehouse on Tuesday triggered an inferno in the Deesa town of Banaskantha district in Gujarat. The blast ripped through the facility, following which a portion of the building collapsed.

A senior police official in the district said the majority of casualties occurred due to the collapse of the building slab following the blast.

The cause of the blast is being ascertained.

Reports said the licence of the warehouse had expired and was not renewed due to safety concerns. The facility reportedly lacked proper facilities, and it appears the owners were illegally manufacturing firecrackers inside it.