A major accident marred Diwali celebrations in Odisha's Puri city on Sunday evening, November 8, after a gas cylinder exploded at a house in the Baliapanda area, leaving more than 10 people injured, seven of them in critical condition, according to preliminary reports. The house, located behind Madan Villa in Baliapanda, belongs to Dilip Singh.

Source: Sambad English

According to preliminary information, the fire from an earthen lamp (diya) reportedly spread to the gas cylinder during the Diwali celebration, while firecrackers were also being burst, triggering a powerful explosion that caused panic in the locality. The exact circumstances are still being examined, and the cause has not yet been officially confirmed.

Source: World Eyes News

>10People injured
7Reported in critical condition
1Shifted to Cuttack for advanced care

Injured rushed to hospital, one shifted to Cuttack

All the injured were rushed to the Puri District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) for treatment. One of the critically injured, Sanjeev Sarkar, was later shifted to Cuttack for advanced medical care. The other critically injured persons have been identified as Saraswati Debnath, Lokanath Biswas, Anukul Biswas, Dilip Singh, Trinath Reddy and Jagannath Baliarsingh. No death had been reported in the incident at the time of these reports.

Police begin investigation

Following the incident, personnel from Baliapanda and Kumbharpada police stations reached the hospital and initiated an investigation into the circumstances leading to the explosion. Further details regarding the condition of the injured and the extent of damage are awaited.

The Puri blast was not the only Diwali accident reported in Odisha on Sunday: in a separate set of incidents in the Soro area of Baleshwar district, at least six people were injured while bursting firecrackers, one of them critically, Sambad English reported — underlining the risks that festive fireworks and open flames pose every year.

What happens next

Doctors at Puri DHH are monitoring the seven critically injured patients, and police say the investigation will establish how the lamp's flame reached the cylinder. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if officials confirm further details on the injured or the cause.