New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm.

These are the top stories from the northern region at 5.15 pm. DEL25 PB-2NDLD BLAST Batala firecracker factory illegal, police say; victims' families demand action against officials Batala (Punjab): Tempers ran high at the government hospital here over the deadly blast at a firecracker factory, which the police Thursday said operated illegally.

DES14 PB-BLAST-BAJWA Factory blast: Register case against erring officials, Bajwa urges Punjab govt Chandigarh: A day after a firecracker factory blast in Gurdaspur's Batala left 23 dead, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa blamed the "lackadaisical attitude" of the Gurdaspur district administration for the tragedy. DES16 PB-EXPLOSION-NIA 2 killed in blast in Tarn Taran; NIA team called Chandigarh: Two persons were killed and one was seriously injured in a blast that took place in an agricultural field in Pandori village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, police said on Thursday.

DEL11 JK-LANDLINES 19 more telephone exchanges restored in Kashmir Valley Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir have restored 19 more telephone exchanges, a month after telephone services were snapped following abrogation of provisions of Article 370, officials said on Thursday. DES22 PB-SUICIDE Two live stream suicide on Social media in Punjab's Sangrur Sangrur: A man (25) and a woman (21) shot themselves dead here, streaming their suicide live on social media, police said Thursday.

DES20 UP-BIRYANI-FIR Police register case against 43 for serving non-veg biryani to Hindus in UP Banda (UP): A case has been registered against 43 persons for serving non-vegetarian biryani to Hindus at a community feast during a 'urs' festival in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district, police said on Thursday..