Cracker shop fire: Toll rises to seven

The death toll of fire in Ranipura area here has risen to seven, with two more persons succumbing to injuries late last night, a municipal official said on Wednesday.

The fire started at a firecracker shop in Ranipura area on Tuesday afternoon, and spread to the adjoining shop selling polythene bags and five other outlets. Owner of the

firecracker shop, Gurvinder Singh Narang, and another person, Jagdish Solanki, were found dead on the spot on Tuesday. Others who died at the government-run M Y Hospital during treatment were identified as Suresh Sharma, Chetan, Sudarshan, Raja and Karan, police said.

The district administration has ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Collector P Narhari said the shop where the fire started was authorised to keep only samples of

firecrackers, but the owner had illegally stocked a huge quantity.