Bhubaneswar, Feb 28 (IANS): At least two persons were killed and two others were critically injured in an explosion at a firecracker manufacturing unit in a village in Odisha's Jagatsinghpur district on Tuesday.

According to police, the mishap took place at Inchapur village under the jurisdiction of Balikuda police station in the district around 1.15 p.m.

The explosion took place after a fire erupted at the unit where firecrackers were being made. The blast not only destroyed the firecracker unit completely, but the resultant fire also gutted a house and huge quantities of paddy stored nearby.

Aftre getting information, fire service personnel reached the spot and doused the fire. Local police also reached the spot and initiated an investigation.

The deceased are identified as Dillu Mohanty and Bulu Das of local villages. Both died on the spot, the police said.

Two others, Susant Prusty and Dinabandhu Das, who sustained critical burns, were immediately rushed to the district headquarters hospital at Jagatsinghpur.

Later, Dinabandhu was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack while Prusty is now under treatment in a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. The health condition of both injured persons is stated to be critical, sources said.