Explosion in garbage leaves boy dead in Jaunpur

VARANASI: Explosion in a heap of garbage claimed the life of a boy while two others suffered burn injuries in Machhlishahar area of Jaunpur district on Sunday.
Bomb disposal squad and a team of anti-terror squad (ATS) reached the spot from Varanasi to detect the nature of explosive. A local licensed firework manufacturer was taken under custody for interrogation.
Reports said some children of Dakshin Mohalla of Sadiganj locality in Machhlishahar were playing cricket near a garbage dumping site. “While playing, they found some crackers lying there and lighted them. In the meantime, fire caught a big plastic bag kept in the vicinity and a big explosion took place. It led to panic in the area. People of the locality reached the spot and saw four children in grip of flames,” said police.
They were rushed to the district hospital. Sahil (12) and Rizwan were referred to SSL Hospital of BHU. Sahil died on way while Rizwan is struggling for survival.
DIG S K Bhagat instructed the Varanasi unit of ATS to detect the nature of explosive.
ASP (ATS) Santosh Singh said, “Prima facie, there is no evidence of improvised explosive device (IED) in the dump.”
“A local licensed fireworks manufacturer has been taken under custody for interrogation following indications that waste explosives used in preparing crackers were being dumped at the site,” said SP Jaunpur B S Yadav.
Bhagat said that the persons involved in dumping explosives at garbage dumping site would be searched to face legal action because such material cannot be disposed without defusing.