Four people were killed and four sustained grievous injuries in a firecracker explosion in Odisha on Monday. The deceased included a father and his son.

The incident took place on Monday morning at Bhusandpur in Khordha district, about 50km from the state capital Bhubaneswar.

While three critically injured have been shifted to the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, for treatment, the other one is admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, for treatment. Khordha superintendent of police Siddharth Kataria said: “Four died in the explosion. The identity of all the four persons is yet to be ascertained.”

Sources said a huge cache of firecrackers was stocked inside a house for the Dol Purnima celebration to be held on Tuesday.

The victims were manufacturing the firecrackers which were to be burst on Tuesday evening.

However, the firecrackers exploded and killed four people on the spot. Such was the impact of the explosion that the house where the firecrackers were stocked was completely damaged.

Khordha collector K. Sudarshan Chakravarthy told reporters: “A probe has been ordered to ascertain how the accident took place, from where they had procured the raw materials and why they were making the firecrackers in the house.”