A 55-year-old man died after a three-storey house collapsed due to a firecracker explosion in Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh. The deceased has been identified as Mukhtar Ahmed, a licensed firecracker manufacturer and a resident of Katra Medniganj, police said. The explosion occurred late at night at Ahmed’s home.
According to Arjun Singh, in-charge of Nagar Kotwali police station, Mukhtar Ahmed stored a large number of fireworks upstairs in his house due to the upcoming Dussehra and Diwali festivals. A powerful explosion occurred late at night, causing the gas cylinder to burst and the upper floor to collapse.
In the accident, six people including Mukhtar Ahmed, Nihar, Shabnam, Niaz, Shahnawaz and Affan were buried under the rubble. He was rescued and taken to a medical college for treatment, where doctors declared Mukhtar dead. Meanwhile, two injured women were referred to SRN Hospital in Prayagraj after initial treatment.
After receiving the news, firefighters rushed to the scene and started rescue work immediately. District leaders also rushed to the scene. The explosion also caused cracks in nearby houses.
It is worth noting that on October 7, an explosion occurred at an illegal firecracker manufacturing factory in Gonda, killing three people, while on October 3, a similar explosion occurred in Bareilly, killing six people. In view of such incidents, UP Police has directed officials across the state to investigate illegal firecracker manufacturing units and take action against those involved.
