Bihar: Five of a family killed in blasts at firecracker businessman’s house

PATNA:  Five members of a family among six were killed and two others were seriously injured following serial blasts in the house of a firecracker businessman in Bihar’s Saran district on Sunday.

A fire broke out around 11.45 am in the house of Mohammad Reyazul Mian at Khodaibagh village, police said. The blasts were so powerful that the three-storey building collapsed, police added.

The deceased were identified as Amina Khatun, her sons—Mulazim and Sabir Ali, Shahzad and daughter Yasmin.

The identity of the sixth body is yet to be ascertained. An FSL team was requisitioned from Muzaffarpur to collect evidence from the spot, Saran Superintendent of Police Santosh Kumar said.

“The cause of the blasts will be ascertained after the FSL report is given,” he said, adding six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.

“Prima facie, it appeared that the explosions took place during the making of firecrackers in the house. The huge stock of explosive material used in making firecrackers came in contact with the fire, which led to the explosions,” Saran Deputy Superintendent of Police Muneshwar Singh said.

“Six bodies were exhumed from the debris of the building. The death toll may go up as some people were believed to be under the debris. Further probe is on,” Singh added.