An explosion and blaze sparked by fireworks have killed at least 100 people at a Hindu temple in the Indian state of Kerala, police say.
The fireworks, which were to be used to celebrate a local new year festival, exploded about 03:30 (22:15 GMT Saturday).
A building at the temple then collapsed, causing many of the deaths. More than 200 people were injured.
Officials said permits for the display had been refused after safety fears.
As morning broke, hundreds of people arrived at the temple, in the coastal town of Paravur, in search of relatives and friends while emergency teams used bulldozers to clear the area looking for survivors.
Thousands of people were gathered at the complex for the festivities. There were scenes of chaos as emergency teams were slow in reaching the area in Kollam district, witnesses said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has flown to Kerala, said the incident was "heart-rending and shocking beyond words".
A team of specialist doctors has been sent from Delhi amid reports of horrific burns suffered by those injured. Several were said to be in critical condition in local hospitals.
Many of the dead were charred beyond recognition and would have to be identified by DNA tests, Kerala police chief TP Senkumar said.
Read more at BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/news/w...-asia-india-36008741