At least five people were killed when firecrackers being made inside a house exploded in Alampur village of Bihar’s Siwan district on Friday evening, October 23, officials said. Two more people had not been traced by the time rescue teams finished their first search of the debris, and some local accounts put the death toll at seven.
The explosion took place at around 5.30 pm in a house under the Jamo Bazar police station area, according to Siwan District Magistrate Vijay Prakash Meena. The house belonged to a local firecracker trader, who is among the dead along with members of his family. Workers at the house were reportedly preparing stock for the Deepavali season.
A chain of blasts for nearly two hours
The first blast was strong enough to bring part of the building’s front crashing onto the road outside. Flames then spread to other firecrackers stored on the premises, setting off a string of explosions that residents said continued on and off for up to two hours. The repeated blasts made it harder for fire and rescue crews to reach the house and identify victims.
Superintendent of Police Bharat Soni said a medical team confirmed five bodies had been recovered and that the civil surgeon’s team suspected another body could still be under the rubble. Forensic experts, a bomb disposal squad and a dog squad were sent to the site, and drones were used to survey the area. Police said the injured were being treated in hospital.
Licence under scrutiny, two officials suspended
The district administration has ordered a probe into whether the unit was operating legally. The district magistrate said officials suspected it either lacked a proper licence or had not renewed it as required. The SP said the owner had held a fireworks licence for about 20 years, but a recent inspection of the licence by the local police had been found to be inadequate.
Jamo Bazar station house officer Dhiraj Kumar and village chowkidar Chandrika Manjhi have been suspended for negligence. An FIR has been registered, and a special investigation team led by the Maharajganj sub-divisional police officer will examine how the firecrackers were stored and made at the house.
The incident in Siwan is tragic, painful and concerning.
Ram Kripal Yadav, Bihar minister
Why it matters and what comes next
The blast comes ahead of Deepavali, the busiest season for firecracker makers, and it took place inside a family home in a village rather than at a dedicated factory site. The deaths have put the spotlight on how such home-based units are licensed and how closely local police check them.
Officials said the forensic team will establish the exact cause of the explosion, and the search for the two missing people is continuing. The final toll is expected once the debris has been fully cleared and the medical team completes its assessment.
