Blaze in firecracker workshop kills six in eastern India

BHUBANESWAR, India (Reuters) - Flames swept through an illegal firecracker workshop in the eastern Indian state of Odisha on Wednesday, killing at least six people, police said. The fire broke out as workers were making crackers for Thursday's celebrations of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, district police chief Niti Shekhar told Reuters. The blaze injured seven others, leaving some with serious burns, he said. "They had stocked crackers in the cottage illegally. Some workers were making the crackers and some were present to purchase the crackers," he added. Local television channels showed fire and smoke billowing out of the workshop in a cottage in Bahabalpur village, about 200 km (120 miles) from state capital Bhubaneswar. (Reporting by Jatindra Dash; Editing by Andrew Heavens)