At least eighteen people lost their lives and five others were injured following an explosion at a firecracker warehouse in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on Tuesday. The blast triggered a fire and caused the building to collapse, authorities confirmed.
The incident occurred around 9:45 AM in an industrial area near Deesa town. Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana stated, “As many as 18 persons died in the incident, and five others were injured after the slab of the building collapsed following a massive blast.” He further explained that the victims were workers from Madhya Pradesh, and most of the fatalities occurred when the building’s slab fell on them.
The facility was a storage unit for firecrackers, and Makwana clarified that there is currently no evidence to suggest firecrackers were being manufactured at the site, despite initial reports suggesting it was a factory.
In the wake of the tragedy, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed his sorrow and announced financial assistance for the victims’ families. “The incident of the death of workers due to fire and slab collapse in a firecracker godown in Deesa is heart-breaking. My heartfelt condolences are with the relatives of the deceased in this hour of grief,” Patel said in a post on X.
He added, “I am in constant touch with the administration regarding the relief, rescue and treatment work in this accident. I have instructed the administration to ensure that the injured get proper treatment at the earliest. The state government will provide an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.”
Patel further expressed his heartfelt prayers, saying, “I pray that God grants peace to the souls of the deceased workers and speedy recovery to the injured.”
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also conveyed his condolences over the loss of workers from his state, expressing grief over their untimely deaths. He stated, “I express grief over the untimely death of workers hailing from MP in the incident.” Yadav assured that the Madhya Pradesh government was in constant communication with Gujarat authorities and would provide full assistance to the affected workers and their families.
Yadav also stated that every possible effort would be made to support the workers and assist their families.
(With inputs from PTI)