Chandigarh, February 8: In a shocking incident, at least 14-15 people were killed after a deadly explosion shook the religious procession in Tarn Taran of Punjab. Reports also claim that 20 people were injured in the explosion, who were rushed to the hospital. State police have cordoned the area and are looking for the perpetrators. An ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh has been announced by the Punjab Chief Minister's Office (CMO) for the deceased.

"CM Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered a magisterial probe into the firecrackers explosion in a trolley during Nagar Kirtan in Tarn Taran today. He has also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 5 lakhs for the kin of deceased and free treatment to injured," said the statement issued by the Punjab CMO.

According to the reports, the explosion took place on Saturday when a a tractor trolley carrying firecrackers caught fire during nagar kirtan in Punjab's Tarn Taran. SSP Tarn Taran Dhruv Dahiya said to News 18 that 14-15 people have died in the incident while three have been reportedly injured. Though the locals claim that the toll rise with time. Punjab: Three-Story Building Collapses in Mohali, Many Feared Trapped Under Debris.

He said, as quoted by news agency ANI, "During nagar kirtan, firecrackers were being burnt using explosive material because of which tractor-trolley exploded accidentally. According to eyewitnesses,14-15 individuals died on spot and 3 have been admitted to hospital in critical condition."

Here's ANI tweet:

As the details poured in, it was found that that the explosion took place when the pilgrims took out a procession to celebrate Baba Deep Singh's birth anniversary in Nagar Kirtan area of Tarn Taran.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2020 06:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).