According to the police, two boys were killed and nine people injured in a firecracker explosion during a religious procession in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Saturday.
Punjab 2 Dead After Cracker Explosion
The police further added that the incident occurred around 4:30 pm when a Nagar Kirtan was taken out near Pahu village in Tarn Taran district. Sparks arising from crackers that were being burst during the religious procession landed on a tractor-trolley that was carrying a huge pile of fireworks, causing the explosion. Reportedly, the religious procession was going from Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh in Pahuwind village to Gurdwara Tahli Sahib in Chattiwind.
Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police Dhruv Dahiya said, ” During the Nagar kirtan, youths were bursting crackers as part of celebratory fireworks. As they were doing so, the sparks fell on the tractor trolley which was carrying explosive material — potash and sulphur and firecrackers — that led to an explosion. Two people have died in the incident.”
The police informed that the deceased have been identified as Manpreet Singh (17) and Gurpreet Singh (12) and the injured were in the age group of 18-20.
Expressing shock and grief on the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased and free treatment to the injured admitted in the local civil hospital and the Guru Nanak Dev Charitable Hospital.
He tweeted, “Saddened to hear about the tragic firecracker blast in Tarn Taran that left 2 dead and 9 injured. My govt will give ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of deceased and free treatment for the injured. SDM Tarn Taran will probe the incident to fix responsibility.”
In a statement issued in Chandigarh, he also directed the civil and police administration of Tarn Taran district to extend all possible help to the families of the victims.
It further added that the SSP of Tarn Taran has been asked to carry out post-mortem proceedings expeditiously so that the bodies could be handed over to their families without delay.
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