30-yr-old dies in Khallikote cracker blast

Berhampur: A 30-year-old man died in an explosion while making crackers illegally in a house at Karana Sahi in Ganjam district’s Khallikote town on Saturday. The deceased was identified as Jitendra Pradhan.
Pradhan was making the crackers alone on the roof when the explosion took place. The intensity of the explosion was so severe that some portions of the house were damaged, while the deceased sustained multiple injuries on his body, police sources said.
Family members and neighbours rushed to the spot after they heard the loud sound. They found Pradhan severely injured and lying in a pool of blood. He was rushed to the community health centre (CHC), Khallikote, where the doctors declared him dead, said inspector-in charge of Khallikote police station Jagannath Mallick.
The deceased, who has been making firecrackers for the last some years, is suspected to be making fresh ones for Kartika Purnima, police said. He might be having some crackers unsold after Diwali and raw materials for more, police suspects. Police said the deceased did not have the licence to manufacture crackers. The licence was in the name of his mother.