Varanasi: A powerful explosion tore through a house in Paigambarpur on the Panchkoshi route within Sarnath police station limits on Thursday evening, bringing the building down and triggering a major rescue operation.Two men were pulled alive from the debris and taken to hospital with minor injuries, while search teams continued efforts to locate a woman feared trapped under the rubble.Police said the blast occurred at the house of firecracker trader Raju Khan.Within minutes, personnel from Sarnath police, the fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force reached the site and began clearing rubble to reach those buried inside. Rescue work progressed cautiously because firecrackers were believed to be stored in the premises, raising the risk of secondary explosions.The impact of the blast was felt beyond the collapsed house, with the outer portion of a neighbouring structure also caving in. Residents reported panic in the locality as a large crowd gathered around the cordoned area, prompting authorities to manage onlookers while rescue teams worked.Commissioner of police Mohit Agrawal said three people, including the woman, were trapped when the house collapsed after the explosion. He added that multiple teams, including forensic experts, had been pressed into service to determine the cause.An Anti-Terrorism Squad team also reached the spot and began an investigation given the intensity of the blast.Officials said it was not yet clear whether the explosion was linked to illegal storage of fireworks, an LPG cylinder, or another explosive material.DCP Varuna Rajesh Kumar Pandey and other senior officers remained on site to supervise operations.
