PATNA: Five of a family were killed and six others sustained injuries after an explosion in an illegal fireworks-manufacturing unit in Bihar’s Saran district on Sunday.
The explosion was so powerful that the double-storied house at Khodaibag village, in which the firecrackers were being readied, collapsed. The explosion also caused partial damage to two other houses in the neighbourhood.
“The high-decibel sound of the explosion was heard after a cooking gas cylinder kept in the house exploded. The cylinder exploded after coming in contact with the fire that started from the crackers,” a witness told police.
The deceased persons were identified as Amina Khatoon (55), her two sons- Mulazim (35) and Sabir Ali (22), Mulazim’s wife Shabana (32) and Mulazim’s nephew (sister’s son) Shahjad (5), Saran SP Santosh Kumar told TOI by telephone on Sunday evening.
The SP said five-year old Shahjad was a native of Shitalpur village under Dighwara police station of the district and he had come to Khodaibag to visit his maternal grandmother. The explosion took place around 12 noon, he said.
The three seriously injured persons were referred to Patna for better treatment, while the other three injured persons are undergoing treatment at Sadar hospital, Chhapra, the SP said.
He said as per the initial investigation, the accident occurred after an explosion in the crackers.
Anti-terrorism squad at blast spot in Saran
Santosh Kumar said two separate teams of forensic experts and bomb disposal squads have already reached the incident site from Muzaffarpur. The forensic team collected necessary exhibits from the spot. A team of anti-terror squad (ATS) from Patna also reached the village to investigate into the case, the SP said.
The victims ran a cycle-repair shop in front of their house and were engaged in making firecrackers and selling them to children through street vending. They also used to supply crackers on wedding ceremonies or other family functions on advance orders in the nearby areas.
To a question, the SP clarified the house where the explosion took place was not a cracker manufacturing factory where large number of people work. It was the two-story house of a family in which some members were engaged in cracker-making works, besides other small-income work.
