BANGKOK, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A woman was killed when flares at a manufacturing factory in central Thailand exploded on Friday, police said.

The blast suddenly blew off, killing the 62-year-old woman, identified as Prayong Phansakul, at the unnamed flare factory in urban area of Suphanburi province, about 100 km northwest of Bangkok.

Several houses in the neighborhood of the factory were damaged by the explosion, the police said.

The incident was initially believed to have resulted from the erroneous handling of gunpowder in the flare manufacturing process, said the police who are investigating it.