KOLKATA: At least seven persons were killed while five others suffered severe burns in a massive explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Duttapurur, North 24 Parganas, 30 km from Kolkata, on Sunday morning. The impact of the explosion was so heavy that dismembered bodies of the victims were blown up and landed on the roofs and courtyards of the neighbours.
The explosion took place when several people were working at the factory in Nilgunj's Moshpole in Duttapukur police station area, around 30 km north of Kolkata, police said.
The impact of the blast was such that over 50 houses in the neighbourhood were partially damaged, a senior police officer said, adding that they suspect that several people were still stuck under the rubble.
Police said the son of the owner of the unit, who was working there this morning, was also killed in the blast.
"The matter is under investigation. Anybody found guilty will be punished. At the moment, we are conducting rescue operations," the officer told PTI.
Rescue and relief work are underway in the area and firefighters are still working to douse the blaze, they said.
A CID bomb squad, personnel of the disaster management department and a contingent of police are at the spot, they added.
Locals ransacked the house of one of the owners of the factory following the blast.
Asked whether the factory was also manufacturing bombs under the veil of firecrackers, the officer said the matter should be probed.
"We have seized raw materials used for manufacturing firecrackers. Our forensics team is checking and taking details," he said.
Twelve people were killed in a similar explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Purba Medinipur district's Egra in May.
According to police, Keramat Ali, one of the victims of the explosion, was arrested one year ago after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee instructed police to take action against the illegal fireworks manufacturing units after the Egra tragedy. Keramat’s son Roshan, too, was killed in the explosion.
“Keramat was running a similar illegal unit at a place one km from Sunday’s explosion site where he was arrested. He was granted bail recently and his involvement in this blast has come to the fore again,” said a police officer.
Residents of Barasat district headquarters, five km from the blast site, heard a loud noise of explosion. “It was a big bang and we thought LPG cylinders in a truck exploded on the nearby National Highway. Later, we came to know about the illegal unit,” said Kanai Dey, a shop owner at Colony More in Barasat.
The neighbours residing near the manufacturing unit that turned into a heap of rubble alleged police were aware of the illegal manufacturing unit. “Those who were involved with the manufacturing unit was seen sharing good relation with the local leaders of the ruling TMC. Police, too, knew about the illegal trade,” alleged a neighbour.
Soon after Sunday's blast, the TMC and BJP got involved in a war of words with the saffron party demanding a NIA probe while the Trinamool asked the BJP to stop doing "vulture politics."
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP alleged that the state has turned into a storehouse of powder kegs.
"There is no monitoring of illegal activities by police. These crackers' units are patronised by local TMC leaders," he alleged.
The BJP also claimed that the factory was running smoothly with the support of local MLA and state Food Minister Rathin Ghosh.
Demanding a NIA probe, senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said, "Under the TMC rule, West Bengal has become a hub of bomb-making factory and terror activities and only a NIA probe can bring out the truth."
BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said last year there has been at least six such blasts in illegal firecracker factories.
"Several people including kids have died in blasts in illegal firecracker factories. These factories were later found to be manufacturing crude bombs. This bomb-making industry is flourishing in Bengal because of the nexus of TMC, goons and police," he said.
Reacting to BJP's allegations, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh equated the BJP with a "vulture" and said it is a useless political outfit that pursues politics over bodies.
"The BJP should stop doing its vulture politics. They are like vultures - waiting for someone to die so that they can come and maul the carcass. They should stop jumping to conclusions and let police complete the probe," Ghosh said.
Rubbishing the saffron party's allegation, state Food Minister Rathin Ghosh alleged that the Indian Secular Front (ISF) is behind the illegal unit.
"I do not think the administration had any information about this illegal factory. I heard that an ISF activist from Murshidabad had rented a property here and was running the illegal unit. I wonder whether they were planning something big," the minister said.
ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui alleged that the owner of the factory is a member of the TMC and had full support to run the unit there.
"The owner is a TMC man and he had full support to run this illegal factory," Siddiqui said.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen told PTI that the state government has formed a SIT (Special Investigation Team), which busted several such illegal fireworks units over the last few months.
"If there are some units still functioning illegally, those will also be busted soon," he said.
Sen said at times action against such firework units also invites the ire of locals as thousands of people depend on it for livelihood.
"But we are firm in wiping out the menace of illegal fireworks."
The chairman of the firecrackers' makers' association 'Sara Bangla Atash Bazi Unnayan Samity' Babla Roy said banned high-decibel 'chocolate bombs' were being manufactured at the illegal factory.
(With inputs from PTI.)