BADAUN/ LUCKNOW: At least eight persons were killed and three others seriously injured on Friday in an explosion at a firecracker factory here, police said.
At around 4.00 pm, there was an explosion in a licensed firecracker factory in Rasulpur village under the Civil Lines police station, Badaun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashok Kumar said.
"Seven persons died on the spot, while one person succumbed in hospital. Three injured have been admitted to the district hospital. Their condition is serious," he said.
The intensity of the blast was so strong that people sitting in an adjacent cycle shop and some passersby were injured in the incident, the SSP said.
"Two passersby were among those killed," he said.
Sub-divisional magistrate of Badaun Parasnath Maurya said the deceased have been identified as Guddu Sharma (23), Sher Singh (55), Ramesh (30), Sanju (34), Pannalal (41), Yameen (42) and Satish (24).
The identity of one victim is yet to be ascertained.
The district administration had pressed excavators and fire brigades into service for rescue work.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took immediate cognizance of the explosion and directed the district magistrate of Badaun to take all necessary steps to provide relief to the injured.
He expressed grief over the loss of lives, and has issued instructions to officials for proper medical treatment of the injured.
The chief minister has also ordered the district magistrates and superintendents of police to inspect the firecracker factories, transportation of firecrackers and their sale.
He said adequate steps must be taken to ensure that accidents due to firecrackers do not take place.
The sale of firecrackers should be done at an open place far from the crowded place, and steps must be taken so that manufacturing, sale and storage of firecrackers do not take place in localities, he said.
Later, Adityanath announced compensation for the deceased and injured persons.
"UP chief minister has announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the grievously injured in the unfortunate incident in Budaun," a senior UP government official said.