NEW DELHI - A blaze at an illegal fireworks factory in eastern India killed nine workers who were stocking up ahead of the Hindu festival of Diwali next month, police said Monday. The fire broke out at the factory in Jharkhand state late Sunday after an explosion. "The unit was being run illegally and there was a huge stock of fireworks in preparation for Diwali," district police superintendent Prabhat Kumar told AFP. "The fire started at 4:30 in the evening. Police and fire officials reached there soon. But intermittent explosions continued till midnight." "Twelve workers were trapped out of which nine have died.