Two children were severely injured in an explosion that occurred in a dustbin in Sector 22 here on Friday. The police, however, are still unsure of the nature of the explosion.

The explosion took place around 1.10 pm, when the brothers Monu (5) and Roshan (8) were picking waste from a dustbin at a market. “There was a loud explosion and we heard screams of the children. Initially, no one dared go near the site. But seeing that there were two children who were injured, people came forward to help. The police were called in soon,” said Shyam Kumar, a shopkeeper of Chaura Raghunathpur area market where the explosion took place.

Both brothers were taken to the district hospital. “The burn injury that Roshan received is quite serious as he was holding the stuff that exploded. His arm has been hurt. He has been referred to the Safdarjung Hospital as there are no specialised burn wards in any private hospital in Noida. His younger brother has received minor injuries,” saidd Ashok Tripathi, SP (City), Noida.

“We did not find any shrapnel and are not sure what caused the explosion, but it could be crackers. We have sent samples of the waste to the lab to find out what the material is,” added Tripathi.

The incident, however, has raised questions on security and the lack of a bomb disposal squad in the district. “The squad arrived at 2.30 pm, almost one and a half hours after the explosion. Administrative officers arrived even later,” said a shopkeeper at the market.