Explosion near CM Mohan Yadav’s stage at Ujjain Rangpanchami event:Security breach triggers panic; 8 injured in firecracker blast

A major security lapse occurred during the Rangpanchami celebrations in Ujjain on Sunday when an explosion took place close to the stage where Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav was present. The blast happened during the Shri Krishna–Sudama Rangotsav Ger procession near Sindhi Colony intersection. A colour smoke “sky shot” firecracker was reportedly ignited near the road divider amid the crowd, causing a loud explosion and triggering panic among thousands gathered for the celebration. For a few moments, a stampede-like situation developed as people tried to move away from the spot. See, the pictures… These were injured in the incident 8 Injured, Two Referred to Indore At least eight people were injured in the incident, including a media person and a local BJP mandal president. All were taken to a private hospital for treatment. Two seriously injured persons — Rajendra Bhatia and Virendra Anjana — suffered burns on their hands, stomach and face. After primary treatment, both were referred to Indore for further medical care. Blast Occurred Just 15 Feet from CM’s Stage According to injured journalist Prashant Yadav, the procession was about 200 metres before Sindhi Colony intersection when thousands had gathered to play with colours and gulal. About ten minutes after the Chief Minister arrived on stage, a loud explosion occurred near the divider. Yadav said the blast was so intense that smoke spread across the area and visibility dropped for a few seconds. Panic followed as people screamed and some attempted to extinguish flames that had caught on their clothes. Officials said the Chief Minister was present at the stage facing the blast site, but a major tragedy was avoided as attention was focused on the stage at that moment. FIR Against Unknown Persons, Probe Underway Collector Roshan Kumar Singh and SP Pradeep Sharma visited the hospital to meet the injured. Police said balloons had been installed for the celebration and there was also a plan to garland the Chief Minister using a JCB machine, which was later cancelled as a precaution. According to SP Sharma, someone ignited fireworks near the divider during the event. An FIR has been registered against unknown persons, and an investigation is underway.