MEERUT, April 26 -- Three young workers were killed in a massive explosion that ripped through an illegal firecracker factory in Deoband town of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, early Saturday morning, authorities said. The blast that occurred at 6am completely flattened the factory, sending shockwaves through the area and sparking widespread protests by villagers.

District magistrate Manish Bansal confirmed the deaths of three individuals, identified as Rahul alias Kaka (24), a resident of Fatehpur village, Vishal (25) from Gunarsa village, and Vikas (19) from Jarauda Jat village. All three were reportedly working at the factory when the explosion occurred. According to police, nine workers were inside the factory at that time.

De...