Illegally stored gunpowder explodes in Khanna house

A major tragedy was averted as gunpowder illegally stored on the rooftop of a house in Street Number 3 of Jagat Colony on Lalheri Road in Khanna exploded on Friday night. There was no casualty even as smoke engulfed the area.

An occupant of the house, Mukesh, said his child had brought gunpowder from the market without informing anyone and kept it in a temporary room on the rooftop. The gunpowder exploded due to formation of gas, he added.

The impact of the blast was strong that cracks appeared in the walls of nearby houses.

Sunita Rani, an area resident, said she was inside her home at night when there was a loud explosion. They came to know that gunpowder kept on their neighbour’s rooftop had exploded.

Local residents said children often played at the blast site. Sunita Rani said their neighbour’s child was setting off firecrackers by filling gunpowder in a gun on Diwali night.

It may be mentioned that 12 persons, including two children, were injured in a blast that took place at a house in Indira Colony near Cheema Chowk in Ludhiana on Thursday. Four of them had sustained severe burns. Explosion occurred in the powder illegally stored there by the house owner for manufacturing firecrackers ahead of Chhath Puja.

The house owner, Usman Khan, was later booked by the city police under the Explosive Act.