Girl dies, 3 injured in blast at Jalandhar cracker unit
House owner booked; kin of deceased to get ₹1 lakh relief
JALANDHAR: A girl was killed and three others were injured after an explosion in an illegal cracker manufacturing unit in the Central Town locality of the city on Tuesday.
Police said crackers were being manufactured and stored in a room on the third floor of a house. Four people, who were in the room when the blast took place, were trapped under the debris.
Nearby residents rushed the injured to the civil hospital where Radhika, 18, died while her cousins Deepa, Karan and Sunil sustained burn injuries, said deputy commissioner of police (investigation) Gurmeet Singh.
Sunil, whose condition is stated to be critical, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
The victims are residents of Nepal. A team of forensic experts also reached the site and started investigation.
“In the preliminary probe, we found that firecrackers were being manufactured and stored in the house. The reason behind the explosion will be known after investigation,” said the deputy commissioner of police.
Owner of the house Gurdeep Singh said all four were working for him to pack crackers for past several months. “I am not aware, how the explosion took place,” he said.
A case under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Explosive Substances Act has been registered against the house owner.
Meanwhile, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh directed the Jalandhar police commissioner to conduct a detailed inquiry to ascertain the reasons behind the blast.
He also announced an ex gratia grant of ₹1 lakh for the next of the kin of the deceased and ₹25,000 each for the three injured, besides directing the administration to provide free medical treatment for them.