Overview

• A massive explosion occurred at an unlicensed firecracker factory in Deoband, Saharanpur, early Saturday morning, killing three workers and flattening the building.
• Police, fire, and forensic teams were deployed to the site, while three factory operators were taken into custody as investigations began into the factory's licensing status and production of banned crackers.
• Eyewitnesses reported the intensity of the explosion, with body parts scattered up to 200 meters and the sound heard as far as two kilometers away.
• Villagers blocked National Highway-59 in protest, accusing local authorities of negligence and failing to address the recurring issue of illegal firecracker units in the region.
• This incident is the latest in a series of fatal explosions at illegal firecracker factories across India, underscoring systemic safety and enforcement failures.