BERHAMPUR: At least five persons including two minors suffered injuries in a firecracker explosion at Yedu Sahi in Rayagada town in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Sources said villagers were getting ready to light bonfires using wooden logs as part of the preparations to celebrate the three-day Pongal festival, which starts with Bhogi. Some youths were reportedly engaged in preparing firecrackers.
Before the pit filled with logs could be set on fire, the firecrackers exploded at around 3 am, injuring five persons who were present at the spot. The explosion damaged cement slabs on the roof of a nearby house, along with windows, doors, and an auto-rickshaw parked near the spot.
The injured were initially shifted to the district headquarters hospital in Rayagada and were later referred to a private hospital in Visakhapatnam. The condition of two of the injured is reported to be critical.
However, locals neither reported the incident to the police nor disclosed the cause of the explosion. On receiving information, police reached the spot and questioned residents, but they reportedly remained tight-lipped. Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion and determine whether safety norms were violated during preparation of firecrackers.