Major fire engulfs firecracker shop in Bhopal, explosions trigger panic

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Bhopal: A massive fire had broken out at a firecracker shop on Halalpur Road in Bhopal shortly after midnight on Tuesday, leading to a string of explosions, causing panic in the area surrounding the shop.

The fire was suspected to have been ignited by some firecrackers being stored in the shop, and it had gone viral all across.

As the fire had escalated, the firecrackers kept exploding one after another, making the fire and firefighting very dangerous.

Multiple fire engines from different fire stations had to be immediately rushed to the spot where local authorities had put the place under lockdown.

Firefighters had been trying to control the fire for close to two hours and prevent its further spread to nearby residential houses.

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Eyewitnesses said they heard big booming explosions from quite a distance and also saw a cloud of black smoke arising from the shop, and had to keep away from the fire site until it was under control.

The fire destroyed the shop along with all its stock of firecrackers and merchandise.

Fortunately, however, there was no loss of life or injuries from the fire or the explosions, said authorities.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Preliminary reports are said to have looked at storage conditions and safety checks for the firecrackers at the store.

The fire incident comes at a time when safety regulations have long been called for regarding stores selling firecrackers in populous areas, since keeping many firecrackers together is already dangerous when stored improperly or left unchecked in the heat.

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