Chandigarh, April 1 -- A powerful explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in the Jodha area of Ludhiana on Tuesday evening resulted in the death of an 18-year-old youth and left a girl critically injured.
The blast, which was reportedly triggered by a lightning strike during a sudden storm, caused the entire building to collapse, prompting an immediate large-scale rescue operation involving the fire brigade, local police, and the Indian Army.
According to the father of the deceased, identified as Mohammad Kaif, the incident unfolded when a sudden thunderstorm lashed the region. A lightning strike reportedly caused a short circuit, followed by a massive cylinder explosion that levelled the structure. The intensity of the blast was su...