MUZAFFARABAD, Aug 25: Six people were killed and more than a dozen injured in an explosion in a fireworks shop on a main road here on Monday evening, officials said.

The explosion, which was heard within a radius of one kilometre, occurred at about 7.45pm in one of the three adjacent shops dealing in fireworks at the bustling Bank Road and completely destroyed all the three shops, two of which were open at the time of incident, witnesses said.

Muzaffarabad Deputy Commissioner Dr Mahmoodul Hassan Raja told Dawn that two people died on the spot while the rest succumbed to their injuries in, or on way to, the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

He said at least 14 people were injured, 11 of whom were admitted to the hospital, where the condition of two was critical.

The DC, in a press note issued later, said the explosion had occurred in a firecracker shop by accident.

However, a number of eyewitnesses were of the view that it could be a bomb blast.

Local journalist Sohail Mughal, who lives close to the site of the tragic incident, told Dawn that he rushed to the place soon after hearing a loud explosion and saw the bodies of the victims lying scattered on the road.

There were clouds of smoke filled with the smell of explosive materials, he added.

A senior doctor at the CMH said the bodies of the dead were “burnt with sooting”.

The dead were identified as Munir, son of Ali Zaman; Wakil, son of Wali Zaman; Adeel, son of Yaseen; Abdur Rashid, son of Sadiq and Awais, son of Misri Khan. Awais was nephew of Abdur Rashid and both were working in their (fireworks) shops at the time of the explosion. The body of the sixth victim could not be identified.

Some of the injured are: Mohammad Javed, 30; Mohammad Khurshid, 40; Mohammad Ashraf, 40; Inayatullah, 35; Qayas Deen, 35; Fayyaz, 30; Farooq Wani, 45; Amjad, 30; Ghulam Hussain and Jahandad.