Bhagalpur Blast: 14 Killed, 1 Hurt in Powerful Indoor Explosion During Illegal Manufacturing of Crackers

At least 14 people died and another suffered serious injuries in a massive explosion that took place inside a house, where the inhabitants were said to be involved in illegal firecracker business, an official said on Friday.

Bhagalpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen said the blast took place inside the house of Mahendra Mandal in Kajbalichak locality of the town in the early hours.

The house of Mandal besides two adjoining buildings were reduced to rubble by the impact of the explosion, the sound of which was heard far and wide, said the DM, adding that earth moving equipment was brought in to clear the debris.

Teams of bomb disposal squad and forensic experts were collecting samples to ascertain the type of material that caused the blast, he said.

The 10 bodies recovered so far were badly disfigured and the administration was yet to confirm the identities of the deceased. Nine survivors have been rushed to a hospital, Sen said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, expressed condolence over the loss of lives in Bhagalpur and spoke to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on relief and rescue operations.

The DM said Mandal has been previously involved in illegal manufacture of firecrackers, and a similar explosion at his house in 2008 had killed three people, including his wife.

A statement from the chief minister’s office said Kumar summoned chief secretary Amir Subhani and director general of police S K Singhal to get a detailed feedback and gave instructions for proper treatment of the injured and suitable action after a thorough investigation. Later, Singhal addressed a press conference in Patna and said that the explosion had taken place half an hour before midnight on Thursday and after the debris was cleared after a nearly 10-hour-long effort.

Accordingly, Tatarpur station house officer Sudhanshu Kumar has been held prima facie guilty of laxity and placed under suspension, said the DGP. He said the blast had taken place inside the house of Leelavati Devi, a widow who lived there with other family members and was said to be involved in the manufacture of firecrackers. All five occupants of the house, three of whom were women, have died.

The remaining deaths are of people living in adjoining buildings. These include Dhirendra Mandal, a neighbour of Leelavati Devi, who is said to have been involved in unlicensed firecracker business,” he said. Mandal had lost a brother in a similar blast that took place in 2002, a few days before Deepawali, which claimed altogether four lives, Singhal added.

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