At least five persons sustained serious burn injuries and 80 rooms of 30 families turned to ashes as firecrackers exploded and spread around the thatched houses in Purma Tigiria village under Tigiria police station on Tuesday afternoon.
All the injured were admitted at the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack. According to an eyewitness, firecrackers which were dried in the sun light on village road was run over by an auto-rickshaw following which fire spread around the thatched houses. The fire was multiplied as the village was packed with firecrackers. The village was famous for cracker preparation and the villagers were busy in preparing crackers for the upcoming Diwali.
Fire brigades from Tigiria, Athagarh and Baramba rushed to spot and brought the fire under control after four hours struggle. local MlA Ranendra Pratap Swain visited the village and took stock of the situation.