Husband, wife killed in firecracker factory blast in Lucknow

At least two people were killed and five others injured in a blast at a firecracker factory operating from a house in the Gudamba area here on Sunday, the police said.

The blast, which occurred in the Behta area of Gudamba at around 12 noon, also damaged adjacent houses.

"The blast occurred in a house where the cracker factory was operating from. Two people have been killed in the incident, and some are injured," Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anindya Vikaram Singh said.

The deceased have been identified as Alam (50) and his wife Munni (48).

A part of the roof collapsed following the explosion, trapping five individuals under the debris. The five have been pulled out of the rubble and rushed to a hospital, the police mentioned.

District Magistrate Vishak G, who, along with senior police officials, visited the blast site, said, "The condition of the two of the injured remains critical. The remaining three injured are stable".

The blast was so strong that it also affected the adjacent houses.

"At least four other houses beside the one in which the blast occurred have been damaged in the blast," the district magistrate said.

"Our priority is to ensure that the injured get adequate medical care. Once that is done, our teams will look into the reasons behind the incident and those involved in it," he added.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath extended his condolences to the families of the deceased and instructed officials to reach the site immediately to expedite relief and rescue efforts.