UP: 4 dead, several injured in illegal fireworks explosion

Bareilly: A massive explosion occurred on Tuesday evening in Kalyanpur village, located in the Sirauli police station area of Bareilly, as illegal fireworks were being made in a residential house.

The explosion destroyed five nearby houses, killing four people and critically injuring four others.Officials fear that the death toll may rise as rescue operations continue.

The blast took place in the house of Rehman Shah, a local resident, where fireworks were being manufactured in secret. According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was followed by a series of smaller blasts that razed four adjacent homes. Those inside were buried under the debris. Authorities confirmed that four people, including Rehman’s daughter-in-law, perished in the explosion. Four others were rescued in critical condition and rushed to the Ramnagar Community Health Center (CHC).

Preliminary investigations reveal that Rehman Shah’s relatives, Nazim and Nasir, who live in Sirauli, are involved in the fireworks business. Shah allegedly produced fireworks in secret and supplied them to his relatives.

Around 4:30 pm on Tuesday, a massive explosion occurred, setting off a chain reaction that led to the disaster.

The incident comes just weeks after another fireworks-related explosion shook Sirauli on September 21. Nasir Shah, a licensed firecracker seller from Mohalla Koautola in the town, had stored fireworks on the third floor of his house. An explosion rocked the building, but fortunately, no one was injured as the family was in the lower floors. Nasir claimed that old firecrackers being dried in the sun had accidentally ignited.

The two incidents have raised serious concerns about the illegal production and storage of fireworks in residential areas, with locals calling for stricter enforcement of

safety regulations.