Ludhiana, April 1 -- A man lost his life and a 13-year-old girl sustained critical injuries in an explosion at an "illegally run" firecracker manufacturing unit inside a house on the outskirts of Jodhan village on Tuesday evening, police said. The deceased has been identified as Kaif Shah. The injured girl is Alisha, they said. According to police officials, nearly 15 people were on the premises at the time of the blast. While most managed to escape unhurt, two persons were trapped under the debris. The injured girl, who remained trapped for some time, is stated to be in a critical condition. Kaif succumbed to his injuries during treatment at a hospital. Daljit Singh, owner of an adjoining structure, said the explosion was so intense that it caused significant structural damage to his property, including the collapse of two lintels. Although his cattle, which were outside at the time, escaped unharmed, he claimed that infrastructure worth lakhs was destroyed. He further alleged that the house where the explosion occurred had been rented out by its owner, identified as Deepa, to migrant labourers who were allegedly engaged in illegal firecracker manufacturing. Police officials said the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be established, but preliminary findings suggest that a large quantity of explosive material stored in bags may have ignited due to a spark or frictional heat. Dakha DSP Varinder Singh Khosa, who supervised the rescue operation, confirmed that two persons, including a girl and a man, were injured in the incident. He said the man died during treatment, while the girl remains under medical care. Preliminary investigation has indicated that the accused had been manufacturing firecrackers illegally for the past two to three days, in violation of provisions under Section 9B of the Explosives Act, 1884. Officials also pointed out that property owners in peripheral areas often rent out their premises without verifying tenants, unknowingly facilitating such hazardous activities. The police said the process was on to register an FIR. The incident comes close on the heels of a similar explosion in October last year in Indira Colony, Ludhiana, where around a dozen people, including children, were injured due to an unauthorised stockpile of firecrackers and raw material....