On Sunday (24 July 2022), several explosions occurred in an illegally operating fireworks factory in Bihar’s Chhapra city in Saran district. Six people have been died in the incident so far. The blast occurred at the house of a man named Mohammad Reyaju Miyan Khan. The explosion was so powerful that it damaged numerous homes in the vicinity. Several people are feared to be trapped in the debris.
The incident occurred in the Khodaibagh village of the Khaira police station area in the Chhapra district. The villagers assert that Reyaju Miyan used to illegally manufacture crackers for fireworks in his own home. Reyaju Miyan is said to have resided with his brother Shabbir Miyan and his family in the house. Locals said that a series of blasts started at 10 AM and continued till 1 PM.
Following the explosion, local police arrived on the scene and began working to rescue the victims trapped beneath the rubble. The blast was so powerful that it completely destroyed Reyaju Miyan’s three-storey home. The FSL team is also on its way from Muzaffarnagar to investigate the matter. Looking at the explosion in Reyaju Miyan’s illegally operating firecracker factory, it is suspected that a highly strong explosive was being manufactured there. However, no information concerning his involvement in any criminal activities has been revealed as of yet.
Following the event, officers from multiple police stations, including Chhapra Sadar SDPO Muneshwar Prasad, Balwara SDPO Inderjit Baitha, Inspector Manju Kumari, Police Station President Vijay Kumar, and a team from the Fire Brigade, arrived on the scene. Five dead bodies have been recovered from the scene.