Prayagraj: At least 11 people, including eight minors, were killed and five injured after a massive explosion at a firecracker factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district on Monday afternoon, officials said.
The blast occurred at a firecracker factory in Manori village under the Pipri police station area, following which 11 injured people, Kaushambi district magistrate Amit Pal said, as reported by PTI.
All the injured were referred to SRN Hospital in Prayagraj for treatment, where 11 died, he said. The five seriously injured people are undergoing treatment at the same hospital.
The deceased have been identified as Priyanjali (5), Praveen Singh (13), Jahanvi (12), Aditya (12), Aditya (8), Ravi (8), Anju (32), Gyan Singh (40), Vikram Saroj (35), Ansh (6) and Nana (4), the DM said, the DM said.
Officials said that all the deceased persons resided in the vicinity of the factory. “More than 18 people are suspected to have been injured in the incident,” according to the officials.
The explosion occurred near the Manori power house and caused extensive damage to the factory and nearby structures. Five to six houses located adjacent to the factory also collapsed in the impact, the officials said.
Train operations on the Delhi-Howrah railway line, passing near the site, were suspended for about an hour due to the intensity of the blast. The Ajmer-Sealdah Express, which had reached near the incident site, was sent back to Manori railway station, while the Vande Bharat Express travelling from Delhi to Varanasi was stopped at Saiyad Sarawan railway station, one station before the site.
The DM, Kaushambi SP Satyanarayan Prajapat and Prayagraj Range IG Ajay Mishra reached the spot along with teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police and fire brigade personnel.
More than a dozen fire tenders and around two dozen ambulances have been deployed at the site, while more than 50 Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel are also assisting in the rescue operation.
The fire brigade had earlier brought the blaze under control and rescue operations were launched to evacuate people from the factory. Rescue teams are continuing to clear the debris and excavators are being used to remove the rubble in search of any people who may be trapped, as reported by Hindustan Times.
A high-voltage electricity pole and power lines in the area were also damaged in the explosion. Electricity department personnel are working to repair the damaged infrastructure and restore power supply at the earliest.
Air Force Station Manori is located around two kilometres from the site.
Debris from collapsed houses is being cleared with the help of 10 bulldozers. Police suspect that more people might be trapped underneath, and therefore, the death toll could rise further.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed condolences over the loss of lives in the incident, and has also announced an ex gratia for the kin of the deceased and the injured persons.
“The loss of life in the unfortunate incident in Kaushambi district is deeply saddening and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families,” he posted in Hindi on X.
“Instructions have been issued to local officials to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured and to reach out to the affected families to provide all possible assistance. Furthermore, directives have been issued to provide financial aid of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured,” the CM said.