Five killed in cracker material explosion

Mangalore, Oct 15 (UNI) Five people, including a father and son, were charred to death, while two other women received serious burn injuries when cracker material caught fire and exploded, in Baderia village in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district today.

Police said a cracker maker was transporting explosive material from a autorickshaw into his house when it caught fire. Due to its impact, Fakir Saheb, his son Rafiq Saheb, auto driver Vinay Gowda, a worker Pucha and a ten-year-old neighbour's son Dixit, who was nearby, died instantaneously. Fakir's wife and daughter, who were caught inside the house were admitted to a hospital with serious burns injuries.

The house, which was still under construction, collapsed under the impact of the explosion which shook the whole area and could be heard even two km away. The autorickshaw was also destroyed. Fakir was well known in the taluk for manufacturing crackers for public functions.

Fire tenders rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire after a two-hour battle. Senior police officials including SP B Dayanand and legislator Shakuntala Shetty visited the spot.

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