UP: Two children among five dead in Firozabad factory explosion, 11 hospitalised

FIROZABAD: Five persons, including two children and a woman, were killed due to an explosion at a firecracker godown-cum-factory here, a police official said on Tuesday, adding the explosion caused damage to nearby houses.

Eleven persons sustained injuries in the blast, which occurred in the factory located in the Naushera area under the Shikohabad police station limits on Monday night, they said.

On Tuesday, based on the complaint lodged by the son of a deceased woman, a case was registered against Bhoora alias Navi Abdullah, who manufactures and sells firecrackers, and his two sons.

SHO of the Shikohabad police station Pradeep Kumar Singh, on Tuesday told PTI, "The house where the explosion took place belongs to Prem Singh Kushwaha and it was completely razed to the ground. The house was taken on rent by Bhure Khan, who manufactures and sells firecrackers. No one was injured in the house, where the explosion took place.

"Based on the complaint lodged by Pawan Kushwaha, son of deceased Meera Devi Kushwaha, a case has been registered against Bhoora and his two sons -- Taj and Raja -- under relevant sections of the BNS and the Explosives Act," Singh said.

In his complaint, Pawan Kushwaha said, "In our village Naushera, Bhoora alias Navi Abdullah was into firecrackers' business for a long time... Bhoora along with his sons Taj, Raja and others had, as part of a conspiracy, stored huge amount of explosive material inside his rented house. The three as part of a conspiracy ignited the explosive substances, and ran away.

"As a result of this, there was a huge explosion, in which my family members and that of my neighbour were buried under the debris, and they died," he said.

Local residents also said that around one dozen houses were damaged due to the blast, and the roofs of some of the houses were also damaged.

"Five persons, including two children, were killed in the explosion that took place in a firecracker godown-cum-factory. Eleven persons were injured in the incident," Circle Officer Shikohabad Praveen Tiwari told PTI.

According to local residents, there was a blast in the firecracker godown around 10.30 pm due to which the walls of the building collapsed and about seven people got buried under the debris.

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, the circle officer said, adding they were identified based on the information obtained from the district hospital.

The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their kin after post-mortem, officials said.

Shikohabad MLA Mukesh Verma said the DM spoke to the Chief Minister's Office regarding compensation to family members of the deceased. He got an assurance that a compensation of Rs 4 lakh will be given to the kin of each deceased, after which the family agreed to perform the last rites, Verma said.

The MLA also said that he has requested the DM to arrange a 100-yard plot for those whose homes have been destroyed in the blast.

The state government said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident.

The chief minister has directed the district administration officials to provide proper treatment to the injured, and issued instructions to district administration officials to expedite the relief work, it said.