A devastating explosion at a firecracker manufacturing factory in Naya Gaon, Saharanpur, has left two workers dead and two others missing. The blast occurred on Friday at the Rana Fire Works factory, located under the Gangoh Police Station area. According to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Mayank Pathak, preliminary indications suggest that negligence or improper handling and storage of explosive material may have led to the incident.
The explosion was powerful enough to be heard up to two kilometers away, triggering panic among residents of nearby villages. Thick black smoke billowing from the factory added to the chaos. The deceased have been identified as Deepraj Devda and Sandeep, both residents of Madhya Pradesh, aged 23 and 25 respectively.
District Magistrate Arvind Chauhan and Senior Superintendent of Police Abhinandan Singh visited the factory after the incident. Contractor Akash Rawat and one of his employees, Lalu Singh, who were at the factory at the time of the blast, are still missing. The factory has been sealed, and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
According to workers, large quantities of firecrackers manufactured for Diwali had been stored in the factory. The factory had been operating at the site for the past five years, and its licence is valid till 2028. However, the SDM has been directed to examine whether any licence conditions or safety norms were violated, leading to the explosion. The factory owner, a resident of Ghaziabad, has left for Saharanpur after hearing about the blast.
