Bhubaneswar, April 3 At least six people, including a minor boy, sustained serious burn injuries in an explosion while preparing firecrackers for a festival in Nayagarh district of Odisha on Friday, police said.
The incident took place in the Korada village, within the Nuagaon police jurisdiction, they said.
Fire service and police personnel rushed to the scene and transported the injured to the primary health center in Nuagaon.
They were later referred to the district headquarters hospital due to their critical condition.
"We were in shock when the massive explosion occurred. Villagers rushed to the scene and informed the fire services and police," a local resident said.
"A police team has been sent to the village, and an investigation has been launched," an officer of the Nuagaon police station said.
A similar incident occurred in the Itamati area of the district in 2016, when at least 9 people lost their lives in a firecracker explosion.