Crackers' factory fire in Bhagalpur claims 4 lives

BHAGALPUR: Four persons, including a woman, died on the spot and two others sustained serious injuries after a fireworks factory, located in a house in Kajwalichak area under the Kotwali police station here, caught fire in the wee hours of Thursday. Short circuit is suspected to have sparked off the fire.
The fire, which reportedly broke out around 1.45 am on Thursday, engulfed the entire double-storey building within half an hour.
According to police sources, the fire led to explosion of crackers, which were being packed in bundles for the forthcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals. The house of factory owner Subhas Atishbaaz was reduced to a heap of debris after the blasts.
Later, on receipt of information, a police team headed by DSP Maheshwar Das, along with fire extinguishing squad, rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies. The deceased persons included Suresh Mandal, Sheela Devi, Ravi and Sunil. Sheela was reportedly the wife of factory owner Subhas Atishbaaz, while Sunil was six-year-old son of his neighbour.
Those who sustained grievous injuries were Soni Kumari and her mother. They have been admitted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital, where their condition is stated to be critical.
Meanwhile, an FIR against the fireworks factory owner has been lodged at the police station concerned. He has been charged under Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Explosive Substances Act.