Videos of the incident have surfaced on the Internet, showing scores of people frantically running to get help. Panic ensued after several explosions rocked a firecracker factory on Magardha Road in the Harda district.
Officials said that preliminary information indicated the existence of an "illegal" firecracker factory that contained a significant quantity of gunpowder for fireworks, which may have been the cause of the blast.
A worker said that there were around 150 employees inside the facility when the fire erupted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and commented on the tragedy, "Distressed by the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. Condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest."
"The local administration is assisting all those affected. INR 200,000 from Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will be given INR 50,000," PM Modi stated.