HYDERABAD, India: Police say at least five workers have been killed in a blaze in a fireworks factory in southern India.

Ravi Prakash, a police superintendent in Andhra Pradesh state’s East Godavari district, said four others were critically wounded in Monday’s fire.

The fire broke out during a lunch break at the factory in Vakatippa village. Prakash said that bodies could not be retrieved by early evening because the fire department was still trying to control the fire.

The fire comes days ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which is marked with fireworks.

India has a huge demand for firecrackers, which are used in religious festivals and weddings. Fires are common in the factories in the absence of proper safety standards.