Blast in Lucknow outskirts kills two

Lucknow: A massive explosion in Munna Khera in Kakori, on the outskirts of Lucknow, left two persons dead and several injured on Monday morning.

The intensity of the blast was so high that while the house where it took place was reduced to debris, the adjoining houses were also damaged.

Several persons were trapped under the debris.

The police reached the spot and began relief and rescue operations. The police have launched an investigation into the cause of the blast.  A forensic team also reached the spot to take samples to ascertain the nature of explosives that caused the blast.

A team of the Anti-Terrorist Squad was also present at the spot along with the Special Task Force.

According to initial reports, the house of was used as an illegal factory for crackers. Large amounts of explosives had allegedly been stored in the house.

SSP Lucknow, Deepak Kumar said that the house belonged to one Sanjay Lodhi who had rented it out Nasir and his sons.

Nasir and his sons ran an illegal cracker factory in the house, sources said.

Nasir and his wife were among those killed in the blast. The other person reportedly killed was a neighbor who ran a ‘dalmoth’ factory in his house but his body is yet to be found. The bodies were blown to bits in the explosion.