India, Feb. 28 -- At least 20 people were killed and 11 others injured in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit at Vetlapalem village in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada district on Saturday.

Rescue operations were hampered as the factory is situated amid agricultural fields, with no proper access road for fire engines or ambulances. Waterlogged and muddy paddy fields prevented vehicles from reaching the site quickly, resulting in prolonged explosions. The injured victims, many with severe burn injuries, were shifted to hospitals with difficulty.

Eight critically injured persons were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. Authorities said that most of the dead are believed to be women. Several bodies were charred beyond recogni...