Overview
- A fire at a house in Alampur village, Siwan, ignited a stockpile of firecrackers and set off repeated blasts that led to a partial building collapse on Friday, Oct 23.
- Intermittent secondary explosions continued for nearly two hours and slowed rescue teams trying to reach people trapped under debris.
- Official casualty counts differ: police and district officials have confirmed three to four deaths while residents say five or more may have died and several people remain unaccounted for.
- A Forensic Science Laboratory team and medical crews are on site to verify bodies and collect samples, and police have registered an FIR to investigate the origin of the stock and licence compliance.
- The Jamo Bazar SHO and the local chowkidar have been suspended as investigators probe whether earlier verification of the home-based firecracker unit failed, highlighting safety risks for densely populated villages.