Two killed in explosion at cracker manufacturing unit

MANGALURU: Two persons were killed due to an explosion in a cracker manufacturing unit at Kambalabettu of Vittla Mudnur Village, Bantwal Taluk late on Monday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Sundara Poojary, 39 and Hashim, 25. They were working at the cracker manufacturing unit belonging to Gafoor alias Garnal Saheb. Garnal is a term used for fire crackers used in local festivals.
It is not known whether the unit had a valid licence. The explosion left the house, in which the unit was functioning, partially destroyed with roof tiles blown off due to the intensity of the blast.
The manufacturing was being done to meet the demand during a local festival.
This is not the first time that such incidents have happened in the district. In the worst ever tragedy in 2006, five persons were killed at a firecracker-manufacturing unit at Budderi village, Puttur.
That explosion had killed Fakeer Saab, who used to manufacture firecrackers, his son Rafiq, who was loading crackers into an autorickshaw, auto-driver Vinay, his neighbour Vijay Gowda and a ten year old boy Dikshit. The impact was such the autorickshaw was thrown 50 metres away and the concrete canopy of Saab's house collapsed.