7 dead, 9 injured in cracker unit fire in Odisha’s Balasore

Balasore: At least seven persons including a child were killed and nine others were injured in an explosion at a cracker manufacturing unit at Bahabalpur under Sadar police limits in Odisha’s Balasore district, this evening.

The injured have been shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital here. Three of them who were in critical condition have been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.

According to district administration authorities, the mishap occurred at an illegal cracker manufacturing unit at Bahabalpur which was operating without licence.

“Six persons including a child have died in the mishap. Nine have been injured. Three of the injured have been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack as they were in critical condition with 90% burns. Two bodies have been identified,” informed Pramod Kumar Das, Collector Balasore.

“Prima facie it appears that the cracker unit didn’t have licence. The unit was operating amid paddy fields away from the village,” he added.

Four out of the six deceased have been identified as Balailal Pradhan, his five-year-old nephew, Pintu Mandal and Ranjit Mandal.

According to eyewitness reports, the mishap occurred at the cracker manufacturing unit run by one Golak Bihari Pradhan when a spark from a cracker lit by a child landed in the area where crackers were manufactured and sold.

The explosion which occurred at around 4 pm was so intense that it ripped apart the tin roof of the illegal cracker manufacturing unit.

The sad incident took place when workers were engaged in cracker making at the unit and people were busy buying crackers from the unit for Diwali tomorrow.

As per the latest reports, the DGP has suspended Bahabalpur Marine Police station IIC Santosh Behera for dereliction of duty.

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