Cracker unit fire toll mounts to five

The death toll in the cracker factory explosion at Tanti Sahi in Nayagarh district of Odisha mounted to five today with four persons succumbing to injuries, officials said.
While the charred body of a man was recovered from the site last evening, three of the injured persons succumbed to injuries today and another man died late last night at SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack, Emergency Officer of the hospital Dr B N Maharana said.
At present six persons who sustained burn injuries in the incident are undergoing treatment in the surgery and plastic surgery departments of the hospital, he said.

The condition of those undergoing treatment was very critical, Dr Maharana said.
The cracker-making unit had caught fire at Tanti Sahi in Itamati area fire yesterday evening followed by an explosion. The reason behind the explosion is yet to be ascertained and investigation by the police is in progress.
While one body had been recovered from the spot, 12 injured persons were rescued from the site of whom ten were sent to SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack and the rest given treatment at Nayagarh, police said.

Investigation into the incident is being conducted by a team headed by a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO).

The owner of the factory has been detained for questioning, Nayagarh SP K V Singh said.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the unit, where crackers were being prepared, had a huge stock of fire-crackers and the incident might have been accidental, the police said.