BHARATPUR : A tragic explosion marred Diwali preparations in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district on Monday afternoon, leaving four young cousins severely injured when volatile chemicals they were mixing detonated unexpectedly.
The incident occurred at approximately 4 p.m. in Moloni village, falling under the jurisdiction of the Halaena police station. According to family members, Pankaj (17), Girdhar (16), Mohit (12), and Chirag (7) were hiding in a separate room while their parents were elsewhere in the house. The children were using a traditional grinding stone to crush restricted materials-sulphur and potash, which they had procured alongside commercial firecrackers.
The situation turned fatal when one of the children mixed potash directly into the sulphur. The resulting chemical reaction triggered a violent explosion, shattering the heavy grinding stone into sharp shrapnel. Stone fragments struck the children’s faces and bodies, causing severe shrapnel wounds and significant eye trauma.
All four victims were rushed to a local facility in Bharatpur before being transferred to a specialized eye hospital. Due to the severity of his injuries, 16-year-old Girdhar was referred to the SMS Hospital in Jaipur for advanced surgical intervention.
Halaena Police Station Officer Brijendra Singh noted that shopkeepers often illegally stock and sell restricted substances like sulphur and potash during the festive season, evading local bans. Police have initiated an investigation into the illegal sale of these hazardous chemicals to minors.
