Five people were killed and two others remained missing on Friday in an explosion at a house where firecrackers were reportedly being manufactured in the Siwan district of Bihar, police said, adding that the explosion was so intense that debris from the adjacent part of the building fell onto the road.
District magistrate (Siwan) Vijay Prakash Meena confirmed that five people died in the blast and two others are missing. It took more than an hour to douse the fire, even as locals claimed the explosion was so intense that body parts of those killed were seen flying in the air. Locals, however, claimed that around seven people died in the blast. Till late evening, the fire brigade, electricity department, dog squad, medical, and FSL teams who had arrived at the spot were still looking for evidence to ascertain the cause of the blast. Subsequently, flames engulfed other firecrackers stored on the premises, setting off a chain of explosions. For about two hours, the sound of explosions kept ringing out intermittently.
He said the incident took place at around 5:30 pm, and the administration reached the spot at around 6 pm. Residents said the explosion was so severe that body parts were found scattered nearly 20 ft away. The house collapsed due to the impact, and debris spilled onto the road, drawing huge crowds to the spot.
Several bodies were mangled and totally dismembered, officials said. Superintendent of Police (Siwan) Bharat Soni said: “We are looking into all aspects and trying to ascertain what caused the blast. Police said that many family members were present in the house when firecrackers exploded.
“We usually do not give licences for making firecrackers with metal elements, and only licences for green crackers are issued. We suspect the unit did not have a proper licence or that it was not renewed as per norms. Investigation is ongoing,” he added.
The DM said there is still some uncertainty over whether the firecracker unit had a valid licence.
The SP added that investigation revealed the house owner has been engaged in fireworks manufacturing under a licence for the past 20 years. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the leadership of SDPO Maharajganj for a detailed investigation into the incident. The SHO of Jamho Bazar police station, Dhiraj Kumar, and chowkidar Chandrika Manjhi have been suspended on charges of negligence. The exact cause of the explosion is being investigated by the forensic team.
“An FIR has been registered on the basis of the statement of police in this connection, with the Circle Inspector of Maharajganj being made the investigating officer of the case, according to the SP. “A few days ago, we ordered the local SHO to conduct a licence inspection and submit a detailed report, which was found to be inadequate,” the SP said.
