Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolence over the deaths in the mishap in Virudhunagar district and announced that an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased.

Despite the high temperatures from the blaze, efforts to clear debris were successful. The death toll stands at 11, with over 200 injured.

The tragedy has reignited long-standing grievances among residents who had repeatedly petitioned for the relocation of the firecrackers unit to a safer location.

The two factory owners -- identified as Rajesh Agrawal and Somesh Agrawal -- were arrested on Tuesday evening from Sarangpur in Rajgarh district, while one more person named Rafiq Khan was detained, Harda Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kanchan told reporters.

Eleven persons were killed and 174 others injured when the explosion ripped through the facility and caused a devastating fire. The factory is located in the Bairagarh locality on the outskirts of Harda town, about 150 km from the state capital Bhopal.