At Least Eight Killed, Many Injured In Illegal Fire Cracker Factory Blast In Bengal

At least eight persons died and a dozen-odd were seriously injured in a blast at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit at Duttapukur, less than 35 kilometre northeast of Kolkata, Sunday (27 August) morning. 

The death toll, said police, is likely to go up as the condition of some of the injured is extremely critical. 

The powerful blast blew off the roof of the concrete structure where the illegal firecracker unit was located and the entire building has been reduced to rubble. Bodies of some of the victims and dismembered torsos landed 50 metre away from the spot. 

Several people, including some women, were working inside the building when the blast, which could be heard even two kilometre away, occurred. The walls of surrounding houses developed cracks. 

Local people alleged that they had informed the police about the illegal firecracker unit many times, but no action was taken. The owner of the unit, they said, is closely associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress. 

Local people tried to attack the house of the owner of the illegal firecracker unit, but a strong police contingent deployed in the area after the blast foiled the attack. 

Bengal has been repeatedly witnessing such explosions in illegal firecracker units in recent years. On 16 May this year, 12 persons died in a similar blast at an illegal firecracker unit in Egra, in Purba Medinipur district. 

Another such blast, on 21 May this year at Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas district, left several people injured.

In both the cases, local people alleged that repeated pleas to the police to take action against the illegal firecracker units fell on deaf ears. 

The police have been accused in all three cases (including Sunday’s tragedy at Duttapukur) of being in league with the owners of the illegal firecracker units. 

The allegations had prompted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to warn the police against patronising illegal activities. She had asked the police to launch a crackdown on all such illegal firecracker units in the state.

But Sunday (27 August)’s incident has shown that even the Chief Minister’s warnings and orders have not been heeded by the police.