Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh): A catastrophic explosion occurred at an illegal firecracker factory in the Deoband area of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday morning, resulting in multiple fatalities and many individuals trapped under debris. Local reports indicate that nine workers were inside the factory at the time of the blast. The explosion was so powerful that body parts were scattered as far as 200 meters from the site.
Eyewitnesses recounted horrific scenes, including the discovery of half of a body far from the blast area and a severed hand found 150 meters away.
Rescue operations are ongoing, with police teams securing the area. The factory, which was operating illegally on a one-bigha plot near National Highway-59, was completely destroyed in the explosion.
Local residents, shocked by the disaster, gathered at the site, expressing their grief and anger. Family members of the victims arrived, many of them inconsolable. The incident sparked widespread outrage among villagers, leading to a blockade of the highway and confrontations with police officers.
Additional police units from nearby stations were dispatched to manage the situation and disperse the crowd.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the factory was producing banned firecrackers. Witnesses reported hearing a series of explosions, with the sound traveling up to two kilometers and shaking nearby villages.
The severity of the blast left the workers with no chance of escape, as the building collapsed within moments.
This tragic event highlights the ongoing issue of illegal firecracker production in the region. This is not the first such incident in Saharanpur; a similar explosion occurred on May 2, 2022, at an illegal firecracker factory near Saorana village, resulting in three deaths and one serious injury. In that case, too, the victims were dismembered, complicating identification for their families.
Despite repeated disasters, illegal firecracker manufacturing continues in the district, raising questions about the administration’s failure to address these operations before they lead to tragedy. As rescue teams continue to search through the rubble, the precise death toll remains unclear, though media reports suggest at least three fatalities.
Police officials have confirmed that an investigation is underway, and measures will be taken against those responsible for operating the illegal factory.
