Two people are still critical after they were buried inside the rubble; cops are checking to see if the factory was illegal
Two people were killed and about half a dozen were injured when a massive explosion took place in an allegedly illegal firecracker factory running in a two-storeyed house in Sarsaul village in Kanpur.
The explosion reduced the house of Babu Singh and four others to rubble. Many family members are still trapped inside the debris. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were called in to conduct the rescue operation. So far two bodies, including Babu Singh’s son Neeraj, have been recovered.
An Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team was also rushed to Kanpur to check any terror angle into the explosion. The ATS has taken samples of powder used in making crude bombs and firecrackers and sent it to the forensic lab. “The extensive damage in the area indicates that high-quality explosive was being used,” pointed an ATS official.
Six people trapped under the debris were rescued by the NDRF and ITBP teams. They have been rushed to district hospital where condition of a woman and girl was stated to be critical. The District Magistrate Surendra Singh said efforts were on to rescue others who are still trapped under the debris.
“We heard a deafening sound and suddenly my house, which was 15 metres away, collapsed. I was lucky to be out. But my family members were trapped under the debris,” said Arvind, a neighbour. Four members of his family were rescued and sent to hospital for treatment.
The impact was so huge that many other houses have developed cracks. Residents of Sarsaul village claimed that Babu Singh and his family were engaged in making crude bombs and other crackers for Diwali for several years.
The DM said that they were checking if Babu had obtained license for making firecrackers or running the factory illegally. “An inquiry has been ordered. We will include all aspects into the investigation. But our first priority is to rescue those trapped and provide them medical care,” said the DM.
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