Five dead in Ayodhya house blast linked to illegal firecracker unit

Within 24 hours of an explosion in Kanpur due to illegal storage of fire crackers, another blast took place in the Pagladhari village of Purakalandar police station area in Ayodhya on Thursday.

A powerful explosion caused a house to collapse, resulting in the death of at least five people, including a man and his three children. One person was injured and has been admitted to the district hospital. Rescue operations are still underway.

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According to eyewitnesses, the explosion occurred in a house where firecrackers were being illegally manufactured and stored. The house was completely destroyed in the blast, and debris was scattered as far as 100 meters. The sound of the explosion was heard up to 500 meters away, causing panic in the area.

The deceased has been identified as Ram Kumar Kasodhan, also known as Pappu, who was reportedly running an illegal firecracker manufacturing operation from his residence. He died in the blast along with his three children.

Police suspect that two more individuals may still be trapped under the rubble.

Upon receiving the information, senior district officials and rescue teams rushed to the scene. Five police teams from nearby stations have been deployed to assist in the rescue efforts. JCB machines are being used to clear the debris in search of survivors or more casualties.

Authorities have evacuated nearby homes and urged residents to stay away from the incident site due to the risk of further explosions.

Police have begun a formal investigation into the matter. According to officials, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred in the village.

Last year, a similar explosion took place at another illegal firecracker unit in the same village, killing three people.

Yesterday, six people were injured in an explosion due to firecrackers in two scooters in the Moolganj area of Kanpur.