KAUSHAMBI: At least seven people were killed and half a dozen were injured in an explosion at a firecracker factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district on Sunday, police said.The incident happened around 11.30 am under the Kokhraj police station limit. Several fire brigade teams and ambulances rushed to the spot soon after and started relief and rescue work.Additional Director General of Police (Prayagraj) Bhanu Bhaskar, who rushed to the site of incident, confirmed the casualties.As per the police sources, one of the deceased was identified as Shiv Narayan, 30, who worked at the factory. “We are in the process of identifying the others,” the officer added. Among the injured, those identified include Bablu Patel, Deena Patel, Ashok Patel and Kaushal Ali.“Some of the injured people have been sent to hospitals in critical condition. The factory is quite far from residential areas. The victims are those who worked at the factory. The owner had a licence to run the factory,” said Kaushambi Superintendent of Police Brijesh Srivastava.Moreover, the owner of the firecracker factory Shahid Ali was among those who lost their lives in the inferno.As per the sources, over two dozen persons were working inside the factory at the time of incident.The intensity of the blaze leading to blasts could be gauged from the fact that the police officials found human remains at a distance of 500 metres from the factory.Police authorities and fire brigade were pressed into service for relief and rescue work as 13 persons were feared trapped inside the factory.While four of the deceased persons were identified as Shiva Kant, Shahid Ali, Ashok Kumar and Shiv Narain. The identity of the rest of three was yet to be established till evening. The workforce working in the factory was from adjoining villages.
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