At least 10 workers are feared dead in a blaze that broke out on Thursday morning at a firecracker factory in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. None of the 16 others believed to be trapped in the unit have been rescued yet, ANI reported.

Two floors of Vetrivel Explosives’ unit were gutted in the fire, which was triggered by an explosion, said G Sathyanarayanan, deputy director-in-charge of Fire and Rescue Services (Central Region), Tamil Nadu. Ther Three firetrucks were at the location along with 25 firefighters tenders, he said, adding that they can confirm the fatalities only after they clear the debris, IANS reported.

Around 200 workers had reported for duty at 6 am on Thursday before the fire broke out. A blast was heard in the factory’s manufacturing unit, after it spread to the other wings. Rescue operations were hampered by the heavy rain in the region, according to The Times of India.