At least four people were killed and several others injured in an explosion at a house allegedly used illegally as a firework factory in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Sunday morning, police said, reports PTI.
The explosion happened when several people were working at the factory in Nilgunj’s Moshpole in Duttapukur police station area. Among those injured were many women and children, said police.
The intensity of the blast was such that some neighbouring houses were also damaged. Following the incident, locals ransacked the house of one of the owners of the Duttapukur factory.
Rescue and relief work are underway in the area, and firefighters are working to douse the blaze that broke out as a result of the explosion.
Earlier, nine people were killed in an explosion at a firework factory in the Khadikul village of Egra in East Mednipur on May 16, reported The Indian Express. Just five days later, on May 21, another explosion occurred at an alleged illegal firework factory in Budge Budge in North 24 Parganas.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP hit out at the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleging that the interests of the party are “aligned with these illegal explosive manufacturing units”.
“Another day another explosion in WB. This time it’s in Duttapukur; North 24 Parganas. The dead bodies are still being counted, most probably would surpass 10,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
“It seems that it was merely a publicity stunt to diffuse the tension and public outrage at that time. WB Govt being WB Govt have been dragging their feet on the issue and haven’t made any progress leave alone surveillance. They won’t take any action this time either and wait patiently for the media attention to die down. The interests of the TMC party are aligned with these illegal explosive manufacturing units. Any regulation or monitoring won’t be tolerated by the TMC goons,” he alleged.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen told news agency PTI that the state government has formed an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to bust illegal firecracker factories in the state.
“If there are some units still functioning illegally, those will also be busted soon,” he said, adding that sometimes action against firework units also invites the ire of the locals, as their livelihood depends on it.
Meanwhile, chairman of firework makers’ association ‘Sara Bangla Atash Bazi Unnayan Samity’ Babla Roy said banned high-decibel ‘chocolate bombs’ or firecrackers were being manufactured at the illegal factory.