Overview
- A massive explosion tore through a firecracker manufacturing unit in Manori/Manauri on Monday, flattening the factory and damaging nearby homes with 11 people confirmed dead and several others injured.
- Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF, police, fire services and nearby Air Force personnel used excavators and bulldozers to search rubble and evacuate the wounded to SRN Hospital in Prayagraj.
- Officials say the unit’s explosives licence was cancelled in 2024 and police have registered cases under the Explosives Act and other laws against the operator and others while seeking arrests and asset seizure.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh leaders announced ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh for next of kin and ₹50,000 for the injured and ordered full medical and administrative support for victims.
- The blast highlights recurring safety and enforcement gaps in small firecracker units that often operate near homes and key infrastructure, and investigators are probing how the factory continued to run after licence cancellation.