Overview

• Explosions seconds apart on Meston Road in Mishri Bazaar around 7:30 pm damaged shops and sent shoppers fleeing, with the blasts heard hundreds of metres away.
• Officials say eight people sustained burn injuries, two are reported critical, and several severe cases were referred to King George's Medical University in Lucknow.
• Investigators recovered firecracker wrappers and jute twine at the scene, and early checks suggest the blast originated in the dicky of one scooter and may have intensified due to petrol.
• Bomb disposal, forensic, anti-sabotage, ATS, STF and intelligence teams are combing the site, collecting samples and reviewing CCTV footage.
• Police are tracing the scooter owners, including one injured owner identified as Ashwani Kumar, while the second owner named by police has not yet been contacted.