Chennai, April 20 -- Twenty-three workers were killed and several people injured in a massive explosion at a private firecracker manufacturing factory in Tamil Nadu's Virudhunagar district on Sunday, state's revenue minister KKSSR Ramachandran said.

President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister MK Stalin were among those who condoled the deaths.

"So far, 23 people have died. Currently, six injured people are undergoing treatment at the District Government Hospital," he told reporters, after inspecting the accident site with his cabinet colleague minister for finance Thangam Thennarasu.

According to a senior fire and rescue department official, the blast occurred at around 3.30 pm when about 30 people were wo...