Banda, Uttar Pradesh, October 4, 2025 — An eight-year-old boy, identified as Akash, died in a tragic firecracker explosion in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh, while his elder brother, Suraj (10), sustained an eye injury. The accident occurred in Barokhar Khurd village under the Kotwali Nagar police station area.
The incident took place on Wednesday evening when the two brothers — Akash (8) and Suraj (10), sons of Ram Babu — were returning home after watching the immersion of a Durga idol with their younger sibling.
On their way, they found a discarded firecracker and carried it home. Around 8 pm, the brothers attempted to light it, but it did not ignite. They then tried to extract the gunpowder from it. According to reports from The Times of India and Amar Ujala, Akash bit the firecracker with his teeth while attempting to open it, triggering a powerful explosion inside his mouth.
The blast was so intense that it split both of Akash’s lips, fractured his lower jawbone, and knocked out several teeth. His injuries made him almost unrecognisable. Local police and media, including TV9 Hindi and Dainik Bhaskar, confirmed that the explosion shattered his jaw and caused extensive facial trauma. His elder brother Suraj, who was sitting nearby, sustained an eye injury due to flying debris but narrowly escaped serious harm.
Hearing the loud explosion, neighbours rushed to the house and found the children covered in blood.
The injured brothers were taken immediately to Rani Durgavati Medical College with the help of locals. Despite two hours of treatment, Akash succumbed to his injuries around 10 pm. His elder brother Suraj was discharged after receiving first aid.
Kotwali in-charge Balram Singh confirmed to The Times of India that the child’s body was taken into custody and sent for a post-mortem examination. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
The case is not one of its kind, as soon as the festival season begins in India, burning fire crackers are very usual and hence there is also an increase in the injuries related to firecrackers and fire burns.
According to a hospital-based retrospective study conducted in Delhi between 2002 and 2010, a total of 1,373 patients with firecracker-related injuries presented to the emergency burn clinic during the pre-Diwali, Diwali, and post-Diwali periods. During those years, victims aged 5 to 30 years accounted for about 73 % of cases, and in nearly 91 % of incidents, the burn involved less than 5 % of total body surface area. Despite legal restrictions and court orders, the number of firecracker injury cases showed an upward trend over time.
Reference:
1. Choudhary, R. K., and S. Bhattacharjee. “Firecracker Injuries during Diwali Festival: The Epidemiology and Impact of Legislation in Delhi.” Indian Journal of Burns 20, no. 1 (2012): 39–43. https://doaj.org/article/a1b5364692964fbbab479e95aae41ef3.
(Rh/Eth/ARC/MSM)