Lucknow, Sep 1: Seven persons, including five children, were killed on Saturday after being struck by lightning in Uttar Pradesh' Shahjahanpur district, police said.

The incident took place at Shamsherpur village in Kant area. Over a dozen persons have sustained severe burn injuries and are being treated at various medical facilities.

The incident took place when some children had taken their cattle to the fields for grazing and it was drizzling. All of a sudden lightning struck them, killing four children on the spot. The rest succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.

Another eight-year-old girl Vandana reportedly died after being struck by lightning in Nabeepur village of the same district.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while condoling the loss of lives in the incident, has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased.

He also instructed officials to ensure that the injured get prompt and adequate treatment.

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Beijing (PTI): At least 26 people were killed and 61 others injured in a massive explosion at a fireworks factory in China's Hunan province, officials said on Tuesday.

The explosion occurred on Monday afternoon at the plant operated by the Huasheng fireworks manufacturing and display company in Liuyang, a county-level city under Changsha, the provincial capital.

Videos circulating on Chinese social media showed massive destruction of property spanning several kilometres.

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More than 480 rescuers, organised into five teams, have been deployed for relief operations, with three rescue robots pressed into service.

Officials said 26 people were killed and 61 others were injured. The injured have been rushed to hospitals for treatment, while a second round of search operations is underway.

China is a leading manufacturer and exporter of fireworks.

As the explosion site is located near two black powder warehouses, the rescuers have evacuated nearby residents and set up a buffer zone to prevent a secondary accident, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched experts to the scene to guide rescue efforts.

The person in charge of the company has been detained by police and the cause of the accident is being investigated, the report said.