KOLKATA: A pall of gloom has descended upon Enayatpur village in Manikchak block of Malda district of West Bengal since residents came to know that nearly nine of the local sons were killed in an explosion in a firecracker dump in a carpet factory in Bhadohi in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
Most of the deceased from Malda were skilled weavers in the factory and hailed from Enayatpur.
Most of the families were frantically trying to reach out to their men working in Bhadohi to know about their safety when Uttar Pradesh administration handed over the list of the deceased to Malda district administration who then informed the deceased's kin.
The deceased have been identified as Ataur Momin, Abdul Gaffar, Md Subhan Ansari, Israfil Momin, Abdul Kalam Momin, Alamgir Momin, Azad Momin, Abdul Qadir and Md Musawwar. West Bengal Chief Minister expressed her condolences and sent a team of cabinet ministers to the victims' village. "My condolences to the families of the 10 people killed in Varanasi.
9 of those who lost their lives in this tragedy are from Malda. Police team from Bengal helping to bring back bodies and provide assistance. Bengal ministers Suvendu (Adhikari) and Firhad (Hakim) with others on their way to Malda," she tweeted.
As many more are feared trapped under the debris, tension has gripped the residents of Enayatpur, many of whose men work as weavers in Varanasi and other parts of Uttar Pradesh. Many of the locals stated that the deceased men were weavers and never revealed anything about firecrackers.
It is being investigated whether firecrackers were manufactured in the cover-up of carpet factory.
A team of West Bengal police has been sent to the state to help in investigation besides bringing back the dead bodies. Migrant worker from Malda, Afrajul Khan was clubbed to death and burnt by Hindu fanatic Shambhulal Raigar in Rajsamand in Rajasthan in December 2017.
Three Muslim workers from Panskura in Purba Medinipur district were recently killed in upper Assam.