Gurdaspur, Oct 23: A 19-year-old boy was killed and six members of his family, including two women, were injured in a blast at their Dharmabad village home in Dera Baba Nanak sub-division on Tuesday night, police said.
The explosion occurred while young family members allegedly tried to make firecrackers at home. Manpreet Singh succumbed to his injuries at an Amritsar hospital on Wednesday, while his brother Lovepreet Singh remains in critical condition. Other injured include two sons-in-law, with severe injuries ranging from blindness to loss of both arms and serious jaw trauma.
Villagers described the blast as high-intensity, shaking nearby houses and shattering window panes. “The family’s children got their hands on some flammable elements, said to be potassium and sulphur, from somewhere,” said Gurinder Singh. “The children began making crackers from the material, triggering an explosion.”
Former village sarpanch Jatinderpal Singh added, “Negligence lies with both the children and the seller. The elders were asleep when the children purchased the chemicals. The administration’s failure to regulate such sales led to this tragedy. Strict action should be taken against the seller.”
Police reached the site Wednesday morning and began a detailed probe with forensic experts. Dera Baba Nanak SHO Ashok Kumar said, “An FIR is being registered under the relevant sections. The accused will be named in the FIR after investigation.”
