The blast took place at the factory being run in temporary structures covered with metal sheets at around 11:30am.
Seven people were killed and over a dozen injured, including three of them critically, when a major fire broke out at a cracker factory following a loud blast in Kamla Nagar area on the outskirts on Thursday.
The blast took place at the factory being run in temporary structures covered with metal sheets at around 11:30am. The impact of the explosion could be seen in a radius of 68km as window panes were shattered. The cause of the blast was yet to be ascertained. Most of the deaths took place when the first blast occured. Several others were injured as metal sheets and portions of bricks scattered and were hurled to a distance of over 500m, eye-witness told DNA.
Fire engulfed three structures where the factory was operated by one Mohd Kalam Khan, 30, who died on the spot.
One of the accused, who died while being taken to hospital, was yet to be identified.
Additional district magistrate Alok Singh, who will conduct a probe into the episode, told DNA that six persons, including three teenagers, were taken out of the rubble. Soon after the incident took place, over a dozen fire tenders rushed to the spot and poured water at the charring remains.
The fire fighters launched a massive search in the area and found six truckloads of un-exploded cracker-making material around the blast site, Singh said adding a search was carried out in neighbouring houses and six quintals of crackers were seized.
District collector Raghvendra Singh told DNA that the state government was bearing the cost of treatment of the injured. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced assistance of Rs1 lakh to the kin of each deceased.
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