A 36-year-old medicine shop owner with a heart ailment died when a tubri that he had bent down to inspect after it failed to light up uncharacteristically exploded in his face on Diwali night in Cooch Behar.

Tubris, a firework that produces a rising fountain of sparkles, are not meant to explode like crackers but such accidents are not unheard of.

Anirban Ghosh, 36, who runs a medicine shop at Suniti Road in Cooch Behar town, had bent down to check the tubri that had not lit up after a few attempts when the earthen shell burst and a flying piece hit his forehead.

Anirban, who had undergone a bypass surgery last year, had refused to get the bleeding wound stitched and returned to reopen his shop when he lost consciousness and suffered convulsions. Doctors at the nursing home where he was taken said he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Anirban, the sole bread-winner of his family, is survived by his wife Urmi, daughter Punyakshi, a Class I student, and widowed mother.

The mishap took place in front of the medicine shop, which Anirban had closed early around 8pm to celebrate Diwali.

“We have come to know from his friends that he closed the shop early to join some other shop owners who were lighting firecrackers,” said Anita Sen, his mother-in-law.

Eyewitnesses said Anirban lost consciousness when the tubri exploded in his

face.

“His friends immediately took him to Maharaja Jeetendra Narayan District Hospital. He was bleeding profusely from the forehead. The doctors wanted to stitch up the wound, but he refused. He got the wound bandaged and returned to reopen his shop,” Anita said.

Within minutes of returning, Anirban lost consciousness and did not come to for a few minutes. He began having convulsions and was rushed to a nearby nursing home, where he was declared dead on arrival. Anirban’s family members said he had a heart complication and had undergone a bypass surgery in December 2017.

“We had thought he would be alright after the surgery,” said an inconsolable Urmi.

A friend of Anirban said: “He was a gentleman and was liked by other shop owners in the area. He had given money to the staff to buy firecrackers. One of those firecrackers took his life.”

Rabindranath Ghosh, the north Bengal development minister, visited Anirban’s house on Thursday evening.

“This is such a tragic incident. I am shocked. I will extend all cooperation to the family. I will try to give a job to his wife,” the Trinamul Congress leader said.