A person was killed while four others were injured in different mishaps across the State during the Diwali celebrations on Sunday.
A youth was electrocuted while decorating his house with lights for Diwali celebrations in Basudevpur area of Bhadrak district. The youth identified as Prakash Chandra Ojha, was immediately rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital in critical condition but the doctors declared him dead.
In another incident in Bhadrak district, two children were injured while lighting crackers during Diwali celebrations in different parts of the district. Sources said a three-year-old child of Bagamara village under the Bhadrak Rural police station sustained grievous injuries on his palm after a cracker bomb exploded on his hand.
Another child also sustained critical injuries while lighting crackers in Bhattapura village. He was admitted to the Bhadrak DHH.
In Ganjam district, two youths lost their lives in an explosion while manufacturing crackers at Shyamasundarpur village under Khallikote block on Sunday night.
The deceased were identified as Madhab Das (24) and Shradheya Das (25).
The duo sustained critical burn injuries when a cracker exploded during its manufacturing. They were admitted to the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Brahmapur, where Madhab breathed his last while undergoing treatmen.
Shradheya was shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack but he succumbed to the injuries on Monday.
In another incident, a shopkeeper sustained critical injuries after his betel shop caught fire in Sana Sorada Bazaar under the Sorada police station of Ganjam district. Identified as Satyanarayan Sahu, the shopkeeper was admitted to Sorada hospital. It is suspected that his shop caught fire after it spread from a Diya lighted on the occasion of the festival.
A youth Alekh Patra was also injured in a mishap while lighting crackers at Sarsara village under the Tikayatpalli police station in Sundargarh district. He was initially admitted to Bonai hospital and later shifted to Rourkela after his condition deteriorated.
A devastating fire in the Golebazar vegetable market situated in the heart of Sambalpur city turned it to ashes due to a late night fire. Fire from a Diwali lamp was said to be behind the blaze while some attributedit as the result of an electric shot circuit.It was a herculean job for a fire brigade to extinguish the fire due todifficult accessibility into the market. However, after two hours oftiresome efforts, the fire came under control.
More than 80 shops were completely gutted. The loss was in lakhs of rupees, sources said.