Bhubaneswar: A massive fire broke out in an illegal firecracker unit running from a house in a slum of Bhubaneswar on Monday evening.
According to sources, the owner of the two-storey house in Chunukoli slum under the Infocity police station was running the illegal firecracker factory in the first floor.
The locals heard a loud sound coming from the house in the evening. Soon after, the entire second floor was engulfed by fire with intermittent blasting of crackers. Apparently, the crackers exploded while those were being made in the factory.
On being informed, two units of Fire services personnel were engaged to extinguish the fire. After the fire was douses, the firefighters entered the building. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the incident. But the roof, floor and walls of the house were badly damaged in the explosion.
A team from Infocity police station also arrived at the spot. But by the time the house owner had fled.
The ground floor of the building was rented for ladies’ hostel. Total 21 working women were reportedly staying in the hostel. But they told the police that they were not aware that a cracker making unit was operating in the first floor, the sources said.