September 1: A devastating explosion at an illegally operated firecracker manufacturing unit in Kaushambi has claimed 11 lives, including eight children, turning a residential area into a scene of death and destruction. Five others were injured.
The blast ripped through the factory in Manauri village, destroying the building and damaging several neighbouring houses. The force of the explosion was so intense that it also disrupted train services on the nearby Delhi-Howrah railway line. Rescue teams searched through the rubble amid fears that more victims could be trapped underneath.
The tragedy has raised an even more disturbing question: How was the unit operating at all?
Officials said the factory’s explosives licence had been cancelled in 2024, yet the operation allegedly continued. Authorities have launched an investigation into how an apparently unauthorised explosives unit continued functioning and whether regulatory failures contributed to the deaths.
Police subsequently arrested the alleged owner and key accused, Naushad, after an encounter early Tuesday morning. Police said he opened fire when officers attempted to intercept him while he was allegedly trying to flee. He was shot in the leg and taken into custody.
The investigation now faces a question larger than the arrest of one man: Who allowed an explosives factory whose licence had reportedly been cancelled to continue operating?
JANPATH NEWS NETWORK (JNN)
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