Tarn Taran blast left human body pieces in nearby fields
The death toll due to the firecracker explosion during a religious procession in Punjab's Tarn Taran district has climbed to 3, as a 17-year old boy, identified as Gurkirat Singh passed away at a hospital while receiving treatment for his injuries. Firecrackers, being carried in a tractor trolley, exploded during the 'nagar kirtan' (religious procession) near Pahu village in Tarn Taran on Saturday. According to Parbesh Chopra, acting Deputy Superintendent of Police, Tarn Taran city, the condition of another injured boy was serious and he was admitted to the hospital's intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, locals have said the Tarn Taran blast was a massive explosion and was heard up to a distance of two kilometres. Locals who had gathered at the spot said pieces of the human body had strewed up to a kilometre away in the nearby wheat fields due to the impact of the explosion.
Media reports stated the blast led to shattered windowpanes and smoke was seen erupting from the site of the blast. According to what one of the eyewitnesses said, some boys were bursting makeshift crackers with a gun when a sudden explosion killed two of them on the spot. People collected parts of human bodies from the fields, they said.
Earlier on Saturday, two boys, aged 12 and 17 years, were killed and nine others injured in the firecracker explosion.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on Saturday ordered a magisterial probe into the incident and also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased and free treatment to the injured, admitted in the local civil hospital and Guru Nanak Dev Charitable Hospital.
The explosion took place when some youngsters were bursting crackers as part of celebratory fireworks near Daleke Mor, Palasaur, police station city.
"During the 'nagar kirtan', the youths were bursting crackers as part of celebratory fireworks. As they were doing so, the sparks fell on the tractor trolley, which was carrying explosive material -- potash and sulphur and firecrackers -- that led to an explosion," a police official had said.
The religious procession was going from Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh in Pahuwind village to Gurdwara Tahli Sahib in Chattiwind.
Expressing shock over the incident, the chief minister asked the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Tarn Taran to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident in order to fix responsibility and ensure justice for the victims.
The SDM's inquiry would ascertain the full facts of the case, a government statement had said.
Also Read | Firecracker explosion in Punjab's Tarn Taran kills 2, injures 9
