KANPUR: Eight people were injured in a firecracker blast on Meston Road, a congested and busy marketplace of the city Wednesday evening. Police say that the crackers were kept in a scooter when they exploded damaging two vehicles and some nearby shops. Four of the injured are critical and have been shifted to Trauma Centre, Lucknow. Others were discharged after primary treatment.The blast took place outside Abdul Hameed’s toy shop at Mishri Bazaar in Moolganj. The explosion was so intense that its sound was heard up to 500 metres away, scattering shops on the footpath and shattering windows of nearby houses. The Markaz mosque is situated near the blast site.It’s reported that six shops in the market were damaged, with one shop’s false ceiling collapsing and some walls cracking. Eyewitnesses said that after the blast, panic spread in the market due to smoke and flames. The injured lying on the road were quickly rushed to a hospital.Police were alerted, and senior officers, including Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal, along with forces from nearby stations and the bomb disposal and detention squad, promptly reached the spot. According to police, based on the explosion’s characteristics, it’s believed to have been caused by firecrackers kept in a scooter.“While it appears to be a firecracker-related explosion, we are exploring all angles,” Lal told TOI.He said a bomb disposal squad, forensic experts and anti-sabotage teams are at the spot to comb the site and collect samples. Units of ATS Kanpur unit and STF are on the site to assist in the investigation.Shopkeepers are being questioned and on-site investigations are continuing. One of the scooter owners is among the injured.A shopkeeper, Mohammad Uwais said, “We were sitting inside the shop when suddenly there was a loud blast. People were startled and items of shops were scattered all over the road.”Reports indicate that among the injured, Suhana (70), Abdul (60), Riyadueen (70), and Ashwani Kumar (50) sustained critical injuries. According to doctors, they sustained over 50% burns. Two minors, Mursaleen and Raees, are among the injured.
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