AHMEDABAD: At least 21 persons, including children and women, were killed, while six others injured on Tuesday after a powerful blast and blaze ripped through a godown where firecrackers were allegedly stored and manufactured illegally in Banaskantha district.
The fire erupted at 9.30 am, trapping several workers inside Deepak Firecrackers’ facility.
An explosion, likely triggered by volatile ammunition used in firecracker production, ignited a devastating fire at the Deesa warehouse. The blast’s sheer force reduced the adjacent godown to rubble, hurling debris 200 meters away and scattering human remains across the site.
Within moments, Deesa Municipality firefighters and 108 ambulances rushed to the inferno, battling flames and chaos. As the crisis deepened, SDRF teams launched rescue operations while FSL experts probed the blast’s cause.
According to sources, tragedy struck migrant laborers from Madhya Pradesh, having arrived just two days earlier for work, they perished in the fireworks they came to craft.
Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said, “We believe no one else remains inside, but firefighting efforts continue.”
The official toll remains in question, deepening the chaos.
“A massive explosion rocked a firecracker factory in Deesa’s industrial area this morning,” confirmed Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel. “The blast’s impact was so severe that the factory slab collapsed, endangering not just workers but their families living nearby.” he added, “Deesa Municipality’s firefighting team has now brought the blaze under control.”
"Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the Deesa tragedy,” said Gujarat Industry, MSME, Labour, and Skill Development Minister Balwantsinh Rajput.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel pledged Rs 4 lakh for each victim’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured. But grief quickly turned to outrage—bereaved families decry the compensation as inadequate.
“The loss of lives in the Deesa firecracker factory blaze is heartbreaking,” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel stated, announcing compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the deceased’s families and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He assured, “I am in constant touch with the administration, monitoring relief, rescue, and medical efforts.” Urging swift medical care, he added, “I have directed officials to ensure the injured receive immediate treatment.”
Expressing condolences, Patel wrote on the social media platform X, “May the departed souls find peace, and the injured recover swiftly.”
“Four lakhs won’t bring back our sons,” grieving families lashed out, rejecting the government’s compensation as inadequate. “If we gather Rs 4 lakh and hand it to the government, will they return our 18-year-old child?” Their anger surged, turning sorrow into defiance as they demanded justice beyond mere financial aid.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also expressed grief over the untimely death of workers hailing from MP in the incident. Yadav said the MP government was in constant contact with the Gujarat authorities.
He said workers affected by the incident will be extended full assistance. All necessary efforts will be made to assist the workers and help their families, Yadav added.
Politics has ignited over the tragedy, with Congress launching a scathing attack on the state government. Accusing the administration of negligence, they charged. Congress President Shakti Sinh Gohil said, “These disasters keep repeating, and the government only wakes up after lives are lost.”
The blame game intensifies as accountability hangs in the balance.
Police arrested the owner of the godown near Deesa town in Banaskantha district, officials said. Investigation also revealed that the entire operation was running illegally without following any regulatory procedures.
(With inputs from PTI)