Two people were killed and 11 injured in a firecracker explosion during a religious procession in Punjab's Tarn Taran district on Saturday, 8 February, police said.
During the ‘nagar kirtan’ (religious procession) near Pahu village in Tarn Taran, crackers were being burst by people.
Surinderpal Singh, IGP, Amritsar Range confirmed that two people have been killed, adding that a firecracker fell out of the trolley and burst, causing the explosion.
Speaking to media, Tarn Taran SSP Dhruv Dahiya also said, “Two people were killed and 11 injured in the explosion,” reported PTI.
Shortly after the incident, Dahiya had quoted eyewitness account to suggest that “at least 14-15 people” were killed in the incident.
The explosion took place when sparks from the crackers landed on a tractor-trolley where the fireworks were stacked, the police said.
(Note: Earlier version of the copy had quoted the SSP as saying that 14 people had died, citing eyewitness accounts)
(With inputs from PTI. This is a developing story. More details awaited)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)