At least 10 persons died and 200 were injured after a fire broke out inside a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Harda district on Tuesday, the police said.

The fire erupted after an explosion inside the factory located in the Bairagarh area on the outskirts of Harda town, about 150 kms from Bhopal, PTI reported.

The massive explosion also destroyed at least 60 houses in the vicinity of the factory, reported the Hindustan Times. Authorities evacuated residents of more than 100 houses due to continuous explosions inside the factory.

The cause of the blast has not been ascertained so far.

However, Narmadapuram Inspector-General of Police, Irshad Wali, told PTI that one person has been detained and a first information report has been registered in the matter.

Firefighters and the State Disaster Response Force personnel were conducting the rescue operation at the site.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that at least 50 ambulances and medical teams from nearby districts had been sent to the site. The state government also deployed helicopters for assistance in rescue operations, he added.

An ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the families of the deceased and the cost of treatment for the injured persons will be borne by the state government, Yadav said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the situation.

“Distressed by the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh,” he said in a social media post. “Condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is assisting all those affected.”

He also announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund to the families of the deceased persons. The injured will be given Rs 50,000 each.