UP: Blast in firecracker godown in Firozabad claims five lives, 11 hurt
Lucknow: In a tragic incident late Monday night, a massive explosion at a firecracker godown in Naushera, a locality in the Shikohabad Kotwali area, left five people dead, including two children.
The explosion, which occurred around 10:30 pm, was caused by fireworks stored inside a house along the National Highway that suddenly caught fire. The intensity of the blast was so severe that it shattered windows, doors and caused cracks in the walls of nearby homes.
A woman was also among the deceased, while 11 persons sustained injuries in the blast. Meera Devi (45), Aman Kushwaha (17), Gautam Kushwaha (16), Kumari Ichha (4) and Abhinaye (2) died in the incident, officials said. The two kids are siblings and were identified based on the information obtained from the district hospital.
“It is indeed a sad incident for the entire family. Ganpati Puja was organised in our area. On Monday, a bhandara was going on. I was there. My sister-in-law, nephew and both the nieces came back home. Around 9:30 pm, I went home to give the Prasad of the bhandara, when I last saw and spoke to my younger niece Ichha. And suddenly (around 10:30 pm), there was an explosion, which triggered panic in the area,” said Gaurav Kushwaha, who lost his niece and nephew in the accident.The authorities immediately deployed rescue teams to the site, with JCB machines working to remove the debris and locate survivors.
District Magistrate Ramesh Ranjan and Senior Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit arrived at the scene, overseeing rescue operations as bulldozers worked to clear the debris.
Eyewitnesses reported that the blast levelled more than 12 houses in the vicinity, leaving a trail of devastation and panic among local residents. Locals raised concerns over the location of the fireworks warehouse in a densely populated area. The warehouse owner, identified as Bhure Khan, is now under investigation, with authorities trying to determine whether he had obtained the necessary permits or if the warehouse was being operated illegally.
