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KARACHI: At least six people were killed and eight injured after an explosion ripped through a fireworks factory in Pakistan’s southern city of Hyderabad on Saturday, a rescue official said, warning the toll could rise as operations continued at the site.

Emergency teams rushed victims to hospitals and worked to pull survivors from the debris. Fireworks factories in densely populated neighborhoods are common in parts of Sindh province, where many operate with limited safety regulation.

“Eight people are injured and six bodies have been recovered, two of whom have been identified while four are still unknown,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hasaan Khan told Arab News over the phone.

“Among the injured, five are critically wounded,” he added. “We have shifted all of them to the burns unit at Liaquat University in Hyderabad. The rescue operation is still ongoing, and the final figures will only be available once it is completed.”

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori expressed grief over the incident, directing authorities to submit an immediate report on the cause of the fire and ordering “strict action” against those responsible.

He said the loss of life was “deeply tragic” and stressed the need for stronger measures to prevent such accidents.

Tessori also instructed officials to ensure the injured received the “best possible medical care,” according to a statement from his office.

Such factory explosions are not isolated in Pakistan, with a blast at a fireworks warehouse in Karachi in August injuring at least 25 people. The cause remains under investigation, though the explosion was powerful enough to shatter windows in surrounding buildings.

Rescue teams in Hyderabad remained at the site into the evening as authorities worked to determine whether additional workers were trapped inside the factory.