At the time of the incident four workers managed to escape the fire. (Representational)
Bijnor:
Five workers were burnt to death after an explosion at a firecracker factory in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district today, the police said.
The police have arrested the operator of the unit, identified as Yusuf.
The unit was being run from a house located in an isolated area at Bakshiwala village.
Superintendent of Police Dharamvir Singh said the explosion took place after gunpowder kept there caught fire.
At the time of the incident, nine people were working there, four of whom managed to escape while the five were charred to death, he said.
The victims have been identified as nearby Bukhara residents Vedpal, Chintu, Pradeep, Sonu and Brajpal.
The Superintendent of Police said within 20 minutes of the incident, a fire brigade reached the spot and controlled the flames.
District Magistrate Ramakant Pandey said that crackers were being made on a valid licence.
Meanwhile, an official release in Lucknow said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the incident.
He directed senior officials in the district to rush to the spot immediately and provide all possible help to the affected persons, the release said.
The chief minister also ordered an inquiry into the mishap and asked the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to submit a joint report.