17 hurt in cracker blast during Chandan Yatra

KENDRAPADA: At least 17 people sustained burn injuries in a firecracker blast during Chandan Yatra of Maa Sarala Temple at Kanakpur village under Tirtol police station in Jagatsinghpur district on Friday midnight.
The mishap occurred when the goddess was sailing on a decorated boat in a pond near the temple.
Bhagyadhar Rout (42), a local said, "Many people were bursting crackers during Chandan Yatra when a cracker fell on a stall due to which all crackers exploded."
"All the injured people were first taken to the community health centre at Manijanga," said Prasant Majhi, sub-divisional police officer, Tirtol. "Eight of them, including two policemen and three children, were later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as their condition was serious," he added.
"We are still clearing the area. The administration allowed them only for Chandan Yatra," said the IIC of Tirtol police station, Jugal Kishor Das.
"As per preliminary investigation, sparks from a cracker fell on a firecracker stall igniting crackers stored there," he added.