Overview
- Police said the explosion struck a house in Mahajanpur under Jagatpur police limits near Cuttack on February 19.
- The injured were taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital, where Sudhansubala Nayak and her daughter Stitaprangya died; Bharati Nayak remains on ventilator support.
- A preliminary inquiry indicates firecrackers had been stored in the residence and family members were engaged in making them when the blast occurred.
- Investigators are working to determine the exact cause and are checking the premises for additional explosive material.
- Reports differ on the extent of structural damage, and local coverage links the case to a January 27 Sundarpada blast that has heightened safety concerns over unauthorized firecracker production.