Ghaziabad: Crackers being packed into a Ravan effigy for Dussehra exploded inside a community centre on Monday, injuring five workers and ripping apart two walls. The blast shattered doors, damaged an adjoining house and sent panic through the neighbourhood as repeated explosions continued for nearly a minute.The explosion occurred around 9.30am at GMC community centre behind Ramlila Maidan in Lajpat Nagar, where effigies were being made for Ramayan Kala Sangam Samiti’s Dussehra programme. Police said workers were placing crackers inside an effigy when the blast occurred.The injured were identified as Anil Kumar (45), his sons Rajat (29) and Rishabh (25), and their associates Raju (35) and Mahendra (32). Anil is critically injured. Three were shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Hospital in Delhi and two to Safdarjung Hospital.“Teams from the fire department, police and NDRF reached the spot to rescue the trapped workers. We don’t yet know how the blast took place, but initial investigation revealed that it occurred when workers were placing firecrackers into the Ravan effigy,” DCP (trans-Hindon) Rijul said.Witnesses said several blasts followed one another, with loud sounds continuing for almost a minute. A fire broke out after the explosion. The blast reduced two community centre walls to rubble. A nearby house’s awning was damaged too and cracks appeared in two other houses.The circumstances surrounding the storage of crackers have also raised questions. Locals alleged that effigies for several Ramlila committees were being made at the centre and large quantities of explosive material were stored there.Resident JP Jain alleged that the explosives were brought and stored without permission and that material was spread on roofs to dry.A passerby said workers were cooking inside the hall when the fire reached stored crackers, triggering the blast. However, fire officials said the exact cause was yet to be established.Chief fire officer Saurabh Gupta said the department was initially informed about a blaze at a cracker shop. On reaching the spot, teams found the fire had engulfed the community centre hall. Three fire tenders extinguished it. “Possibly, an explosion occurred and the fire broke out due to the use of fireworks or some other explosive material in making the effigy,” Gupta said.The community centre had been taken from the municipal corporation by Ramayan Kala Sangam Samiti for Rs 28,000. Police will seek details from GMC on how the hall was used for effigy-making and storage of crackers and whether required permissions were obtained.Municipal commissioner Vikramaditya Singh Malik said GMC had filed a police complaint against the organisation and sacked five employees, including the caretaker. An explanation has also been sought from the Mohan Nagar zonal office.
