Chandbali: A 75-year-old man was killed in an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory operating near Paramanandapur Chhak in Mato area in this block of Bhadrak district late Friday night.
The deceased was identified as Biswanath Pani of Kamaria area under Tihidi block.
A fi re broke out for an unknown reason and triggered a powerful explosion as a large quantity of crackers was stored in the factory.
The blast caused the asbestos roof to shatter and startled residents, who rushed out of their homes.
Pani, who was sleeping inside the building, died in the blast. Fireworks worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed.
Chandbali fire services personnel reached the spot and brought the blaze under control.
A case (288/26) was registered Saturday over a complaint filed by Pani’s nephew, Sadananda Pani.
Police are investigating the cause of the blast and verifying whether the crackers were legally stored, said inspector Paresh Kumar Mohanty.
The incident follows a blast at a cracker warehouse in Bhadrak municipality that killed five people May 6, 2025.
