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Cracker blast toll goes up to two

CUTTACK: Just hours after the death of Chandan Mallick, his father Badal Mallick also succumbed to his injuries on Monday night at SCB Medical College and Hospital here where the duo along with 12 others were under treatment after the Sunday night’s cracker blast at Asureswar. Both the father and son received 100 per cent burns on that ill-fated night.

As many as 18 persons were injured in the blast at the religious congregation where over 50,000 devotees had gathered to witness the annual cracker show at the local Raghunathjew temple. It was estimated that crackers, worth over Rs. 1 lakh up for sale, accidentally went off bringing a tragic end to a traditional festival.

Meanwhile, Cuttack SP A.N. Sinha, who rushed to the spot, opined that the festival organisers had not taken adequate precautions to avoid such an accident. “Unauthorized cracker shops had come up at the temple site upon which the local authorities had no control. Even the temple trustees had no idea that such a huge quantity of crackers were piled up in the vicinity for sale,” Mr. Sinha said.

Devotees fire crackers on Cahitra Purnima near the temple to appease the deity.

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