2 children killed in explosion at firecracker store in India's Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two children were killed and one person was critically injured Monday in an explosion at a firecracker store in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

The blast took place at Kailawada village in Muzaffarnagar district, about 617 km northwest of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, some firecrackers inside the store caught fire, triggering the huge explosion.

"The store was housed in a room on the first floor of a house. It is said that a fire in some firecrackers led to the huge explosion in which two children were killed and one person injured," senior police official Satyanarain Prajapati said. "The injured person has been hospitalized."

Police have rushed firefighters to the spot to douse the fire and prevent it from spreading in the neighborhood.

A case has been registered and an investigation ordered into the incident, police said.

"The store had a license and a forensic team is at the spot to ascertain the reasons that led to the fire and subsequent explosion at the store," Prajapati said.

Accidental explosions are common at Indian firecracker factories and shops as owners usually ignore safety standards.