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.
According to officials familiar with the matter, a probe has been ordered to ascertain whether the unit had a valid licence and whether it was running illegally to make firecrackers without proper documents.
District magistrate (Siwan) Vijay Prakash Meena confirmed that five people died in the blast and two others are missing. He said the incident took place at around 5:30 pm, and the administration reached the spot at around 6 pm. 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. Several bodies were mangled and totally dismembered, officials said.
“Five people have died in the explosion inside the house where firecrackers were being manufactured. All of them have been identified. Two more are injured, but they have not yet been traced,” the DM said.
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.
Superintendent of Police (Siwan) Bharat Soni said: “We are looking into all aspects and trying to ascertain what caused the blast.”
The DM said there is still some uncertainty over whether the firecracker unit had a valid licence. “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.
According to the SP, “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. 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.”
The SP added that investigation revealed the house owner has been engaged in fireworks manufacturing under a licence for the past 20 years. “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.
The house where firecrackers were being manufactured is located in a densely populated area. Locals claimed that the firecracker manufacturing unit destroyed in the explosion was being run in the house of a man named Mohammad Amiruddin Mian, who is said to be a noted firecracker trader.
Police said that many family members were present in the house when firecrackers exploded. 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. 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.
A local named Junaid Rizvi told a media channel that body parts of some of those killed in the blast were thrown into the air. Alampur village in Siwan is known for manufacturing firecrackers, as some families in the village have been making them for generations. “It was a horrible sight. Parts of the bodies of those killed in the blast were strewn all over,” Rizvi said.