28 October,2010 07:21 PM IST | | Agencies
At least four persons were killed when a two-storey residential building on premises of a government primary health centre collapsed here today following an explosion which police suspect was caused by illegally stored crackers.
District Magistrate Mukesh Meshram said the blast occurred in the staff quarters belonging to a ward boy Rajesh Gautam at 3.30 PM in Kalyan puri area. Bodies of four persons, including a woman, have been retrieved from the debris.
Two others were seriously injured while 10 persons have been rescued, he said, adding a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the incident. The Anti-Terrorist Squad has been sent from Lucknow to probe the incident, though police have ruled out terror angle.
Inspector General of Police, Kanpur, G L Meena, said they have found raw materials used in manufacturing crackers from the site. Police suspect that fireworks in large quantity were illegally stored or even being made there, which could have led to the explosion.
"The blast occurred in a staff quarter. The affected building has six such quarters," he said, adding rescue operation was on. The building housing the health centre was, however, unaffected by the explosion.
The incident created panic in the area and senior officials rushed to the spot.
