Overview
- A powerful explosion at a house-based firecracker unit near Manori in Kaushambi district destroyed the building and set off continuing secondary detonations during rescue work.
- Officials have confirmed at least five people died and roughly two dozen were injured, with medical teams treating critically wounded patients at SRN Hospital in Prayagraj.
- Multi-agency teams from the NDRF, SDRF, local police, fire brigade and more than 50 Air Force personnel led the rescue and debris-clearing operation using excavators and bulldozers.
- The blast damaged nearby houses, toppled power lines and briefly halted trains on the Delhi–Howrah line, and utility crews are working to restore services.
- Authorities say the unit appears to have been operating without valid licences and have opened criminal and administrative probes, a development that highlights the risks of informal firecracker manufacturing sited inside or next to homes.