Vadodara firecracker shop blaze claims 8 lives

The firecracker shop at Rustampura was illegal. Express

Eight persons were killed when a firecracker shop at Rustampura in Vadodara district caught fire Friday evening. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, but fire brigade and local officials said the shop was “illegal”, running out of a house, and there was no fire safety measure in place.

The blaze, which started at the firecracker shop, spread to the adjoining firecracker shops and residential structures, Vadodara (rural) SP Saurabh Tolumbia said.

While three members of the family running the shop, a child and a customer died on the spot, three others succumbed to injuries at SSG hospital in Vadodara. Identities of many of the victims were yet to be established as the bodies were burnt beyond recognition.

Fire brigade officials said a spark in the stack of firecrackers resulted in the blaze, but they could not specify the reason for the spark.