Death toll rises to 23 in India fireworks factory blast

The death toll in a firework factory blast in northern India rose to 23, with more than two dozen people reported injured, rescue officials said on Wednesday.

The injured are being treated in various hospitals in the district, with many reported to be severely hurt. It was not clear if the factory in the northern state of Punjab was a legal facility, or one of the many illegal fireworks factories spotted across the country, which often have lax safety standards. India marks Diwali, the festival of lights, next month when revelers across the country set off countless fireworks.