Kolkata/IBNS: At least five people died and seven others were hospitalized in critical conditions after a strong explosion rocked an illegal firecracker factory in Khadikul area under Egra Police Station limits in East Medinipur district of West Bengal on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

East Medinipur SP Amarnath K said local police and fire and emergency services personnel rushed to the explosion site, which is located about 20 kilometres from the Odisha border.

Handing over the probe into the incident to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that five people had been killed in the explosion while seven others had been hospitalized.

The Chief Minister also declared an ex-gratia of Rs. 2.5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.

She has asked the police to arrest the owner of the illegal cracker factory and to take departmental action against the local police station's IC.

The cracker factory has been completely destroyed due to the explosion.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)