At least eight people, including a child were burnt alive and nine were injured in Odisha’s Balasore district when an illegally run firecracker making unit caught fire on Wednesday.
Inspector general of fire services, Santosh Bala, said the explosion occurred in the firecracker unit of one Golak Pradhan at Bahabalpur village. Pradhan’s son was among those who died. The unit did not have a licence.
People said the explosion continued for more than an hour. While six bodies were found near the accident spot, two were declared dead at Balasore district headquarters hospital. Officials said the injured were being shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as their condition had worsened.
In two other separate firecracker accidents across the state since Tuesday night, two people were killed and six injured.
In steel city Rourkela, a fire broke out at a firecracker market on Tuesday. A youngster sleeping in a firecracker shop died in the blaze, which gutted more than 50 shops.
In Pipili block of Puri, a six-year-old girl died and five sustained critical burn injuries while making firecrackers in a house.