Berhampur: At least six boys were seriously injured in an explosion while making firecrackers at a village in Khallikote area of Odisha’s Ganjam district on Saturday ahead of Diwali festival.
As per preliminary information, the incident took place when the minor boys, stated to be Class X students, were making firecrackers inside a house at Mankipur village under Khallikote block of the district.
All the injured were rushed to the nearby hospital for treatment. Four of them were later shifted to Berhampur Hospital for advanced treatment as their condition became critical.
Sources said the boys were making firecrackers from gunpowder inside an isolated house in the Nuasahi area of the village in the afternoon when the explosion took place. The six boys were critically injured.
The explosion was so severe that the asbestos roof and two walls of the house got blown away.
On being informed, police personnel along with scientific team reached the spot and started an investigation into the incident. The bomb squad is also expected to reach the spot soon. The exact cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained.
