Blast at illegal firecracker making unit in UP's Gonda, 2 killed

A blast at an illegal firecracker making unit at a home here on Monday led to the death of two people, including a boy, and injuries to three, police said.

The explosion happened at the house, belonging to Mohammad Farooq, in Ragadganj village when some people were making firecrackers inside, they said.

Immediately after getting information about the blast, police and administration officials reached the spot and rescue operation was started.

Akash (15) and Lallu (30), Ishtiyaq (40), Ayaas (17) and Krishna Kumar (24) got injured in the incident and were rushed to Belsar community health centre from where they were referred to a medical college, they said.

On the way to the medical college Akash and Lallu died, Dr Deepak Singh said, adding that the other two are critical and have been referred to Lucknow for better treatment.

According to the police, Farooq used to live in Punjab.

Rajjan Baba, an eyewitness, said the owner of the house lives in Punjab's Jalandhar and some people were making firecrackers when the explosion took place.

Due to the explosion, the wall of the house collapsed and cracks appeared on nearby houses.

Gonda Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said a dog squad and field units are at the spot and probe is on.

“Strict action will be initiated against those found guilty,” he said.

In Kushinagar district, the police unearthed an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit. Four people were arrested and a large quantity of firecrackers and explosives seized.

Acting on a tip-off, police arrested the key accused, Nanhe Hussain, near Katanwar Road in Padrauna on Sunday and recovered explosives from his possession, ASP Ritesh Kumar Mishra said during a press conference on Monday.

During the probe, three other individuals -- Qaiser Alam, Alisar, and Zahida -- were apprehended from a rented house owned by Ashok Gupta, where they had allegedly been operating the firecracker production unit.

Police recovered 28 bags of finished firecrackers, 8 bags of partially made firecrackers, and nearly 1.7 kg of gunpowder from the site on Monday.

According to police, the gang was manufacturing firecrackers in bulk, intending to sell them during the festive season for hefty profits.

The accused have been charged under the Explosives Act and Section 288 of the BNS.

The police also seized a significant amount of raw materials and tools used for manufacturing the firecrackers. The crackdown is part of the ongoing efforts to curb illegal firecracker production ahead of Diwali.

In Bareilly on October 2, six people were killed in the blast in the manufacturing unit located in the district's Sirauli area.

This unit was also run illegally and police have arrested the main accused in the incident.