Eight persons, including four minor boys, were seriously injured when firecrackers exploded during a Mahabharata play at Kaithara village under Dharakote block in Ganjam district early Sunday morning. The injured minor boys were identified as Om Reddy (8), Suman Reddy (7), Raja Gouda (12) and Chandan Bisoyi (8).
The other four victims were two drama artists Bijay Gaudo, Babu Bisoyi and two from the audience Arun Bisoyi and Bijay Reddy.
The Mahabharata was being staged at Kaithara in celebration of the Dola festival since late on Saturday night. Early on Sunday morning, a few firecrackers that were kept to be used during the play suddenly caught fire and exploded, leaving the eight persons injured.
All the injured were sent to the Aska hospital for preliminary treatment and further shifted to the MKCG Medical College Hospital in Brahmapur after their conditions worsened.