Rajendra Gupta and his wife Sunita were carrying around 50 kg of crackers to sell during Diwali when the motorcycle on which they were riding skidded. “Since the barrier was down, the man tried to get across through a narrow opening on one side,” said Vinay, a local resident. After the motorcycle skidded, an explosion followed, killing the couple on the spot.

The blast was so powerful that pieces of their bodies were scattered in a 100-metre radius. The vehicle was also badly damaged.

“A purchase slip recovered from the spot showed that Rajendra had bought crackers worth Rs 10,625 from the market,” said Additional Director General (Law and Order) Brij Lal.

Gupta, a resident of Vivek Khand in Gomti Nagar, used to run a ‘chat’ shop and before every Diwali he used set up a firecracker stall. The police did not know if he had a license to sell crackers. The couple is survived by four children. His eldest son, Ravi, who is about 18 years old, helped his father in his work. He confirmed that his father had gone out in the morning to buy crackers. Neighbours said the marriage of the couple’s eldest daughter was also to take place shortly.