Two women were critically injured after a suspected blast triggered a fire inside a house in the Anngarh area of Amritsar on Thursday afternoon. The area falls under the jurisdiction of the Gate Hakima Police Station.
Police teams led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Surinderpal Singh, along with fire brigade personnel, rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.
The injured women were immediately shifted to the Civil Hospital. Officials said both sustained severe burn injuries and remained in critical condition.
Authorities are yet to ascertain the exact cause of the blast and the subsequent fire. The Anngarh locality has previously remained under scrutiny over incidents related to drug abuse and alleged illegal firecracker manufacturing units.
Local residents alleged that firecrackers were being manufactured illegally inside the house where the explosion occurred. However, police officials said no conclusions could be drawn until forensic experts complete their examination of the site.
“We cannot comment on the nature of the blast at this stage. Our forensic teams are reaching the spot, and only after their examination will the exact cause be established,” ACP Surinderpal Singh said.
Kanwaljit Singh, a fireman posted at the Gillwali Gate fire station, said the department received information about the fire around 11.45 am.
“By the time our team reached the spot, a tanker from the Amritsar Sewa Samiti was already engaged in dousing the flames. Two fire tenders were used to bring the fire under control,” he said.
He confirmed that two women were injured in the incident, adding that one of the victims suffered extensive injuries due to the impact of the suspected blast.
Police said further investigation was under way.
