Gurdaspur, Oct 23: A 19-year-old youth was killed and six family members, including two women, were injured in a firecracker blast at Dharmabad village in Dera Baba Nanak sub-division on Tuesday night.
Police said the explosion occurred while young members of the family were reportedly preparing firecrackers at home. Manpreet Singh, the deceased, died at a hospital in Amritsar on Wednesday. His brother Lovepreet Singh is in critical condition. Two sons-in-law were among the injured; one lost his eyesight, another both arms, and a third sustained serious jaw injuries.
The blast, which happened around 10 pm, was reportedly strong enough to shatter windows in nearby houses. Villagers said the children had obtained flammable substances, reportedly potassium and sulphur, from a local seller.
Gurinder Singh, a villager, said, “The irresponsible seller sold the substances in huge quantities. I have learnt that the children began to prepare crackers from the material, triggering an explosion.”
Former sarpanch Jatinderpal Singh said, “Negligence is from both sides, the buyers and the seller. The senior members of the family had gone to bed when the children went to purchase the chemicals. The administration’s failure to regulate such sales led to this tragedy. Strong action should be taken against the seller.”
Police reached the village Wednesday morning and launched an investigation with forensic experts. Dera Baba Nanak SHO Ashok Kumar said, “The matter is under investigation. An FIR is being registered under the relevant sections. The accused will be nominated in the FIR after a thorough probe.”
