Four killed in blast at illegal cracker factory in Bengal

KOLKATA

At least four persons, including women, died in a massive explosion at an illegal firecracker factory at Kalyani Rathtala in West Bengal’s Nadia district on Friday.

The explosion, which occurred in the afternoon, caused a fatal blaze at the factory, located in a congested area in the town. According to eyewitness accounts, the explosion blew off the factory’s roof. The loud sound grabbed the attention of the residents in the neighbourhood.

The factory premises were charred and reduced to ashes. Bodies of the deceased were found scattered in the remains and were recovered by rescue personnel. Another victim, reportedly in critical condition, was rushed to the nearby College of Medicine and JNM Hospital for treatment. Local media reports suggest more people could have sustained injuries.

According to Nilimesh Roy Chowdhury, chairperson of the Kalyani Municipality and Trinamool Congress councillor of Kalyani’s ward no 11, the explosion site was a trading centre and godown for firecrackers, and not a factory. “The municipality has formed an inquiry committee to look into it,” he said, adding that the place had a trade license, which could have only been obtained after receiving no-objection certificates from the local police and fire brigade.

However, BJP MLA at Kalyani, Ambika Roy, claimed that the number of casualties were more than four. “The police have always been in the know of these firecracker factories that operate illegally. However, they protect them,” the MLA alleged.

“Police and government officials have reached the spot and are carrying out rescue work. They are inspecting the possible causes and checking for any negligence. However, in any part of India, firecracker factories carry a certain amount of risk,” Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said.

Many people have lost their lives in the last few years in multiple instances of explosions in firecracker factories across the State, most notably at Purba Medinipur’s Egra subdivision where 11 people died in May 2023. In August of the same year, another explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in the Duttapukur area of North 24 Parganas district claimed seven lives.