BHOPAL: An explosion at a firecracker factory in western Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district killed three workers and injured 25 others. At least 13 people are in critical condition. The deceased individuals are identified as Dhiraj, Sunny and Sumit.
The killer mishap at the factory in Tonkkalan village under Tonk Khurd tehsil took place at 11.30 am when at least 28-30 workers were preparing gunpowder by mixing chemicals. It is possibly the inadequate combination of the chemical mixture amid rising heat, which possibly caused the explosions, smoke and fire.
The explosion was so powerful that tremors were felt in houses in the neighbourhood. “The powerful explosions shook our houses. We saw bodies and broken metal sheds from the factory flying in the air. The parts of human bodies flew to a distance of 20-25 ft on the main road,” a resident, Rakesh Mandloi, said.
According to the Dewas district collector Rituraj Singh, “While three workers died, 25 others were injured. 12 of the injured have been admitted at Dewas District Hospital and are likely to be discharged by Friday evening. 13 others are admitted at Amaltas Hospital in Dewas, besides hospitals in Indore.”
As per informed sources in Indore, while three workers are admitted at the burn unit of the state government’s MY Hospital, four are admitted at the Choithram Hospital.
The condition of those admitted in Indore is stated to be critical, especially the three workers at MY Hospital, who sustained 80 to 90 per cent burns.
Meanwhile, while ordering a thorough probe, the state’s CM Dr Mohan Yadav announced Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of the three deceased individuals and directed free treatment of all the injured at the best hospitals.
The minister in charge of Dewas district, Deputy CM Jagdish Dewda, was sent with senior officials to the spot.
The factory's licenses (firecracker manufacturing and sale) were issued on December 23 and renewed on May 6.
“FSL chemical and FSL physical teams of the central government’s Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) have already arrived at the site and started the probe. Also, teams of the pollution control board, electricity and industrial safety teams are also probing the matter and preparing their reports. Four people have been identified as suspects whose negligence may have caused the killer mishap. A case is being registered by the local police against them,” Dewas district collector added.
As per official sources, while the factory has been sealed by authorities after the incident, its owner, Anil Malviya, is already in police custody.
As the factory owner’s picture with local BJP MP Mahendra Solanki went viral on social media, the Congress’s state president Jitu Patwari alleged that the factory was being run under the political protection of those in power.
The local BJP MP, however, reportedly said that the factory owner was not a political worker but someone he knew.
According to local media reports, an explosion of a smaller scale was reported at the same factory in March. Residents had also raised security concerns at that time.
The factory reportedly had hired the services of 500-600 workers, including women. While the male workers were paid Rs 400 every day, the female workers got Rs 250 every day.
“We were fortunate that we were in the other room. We remained safe. Many of those working in the factory hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” said a worker from Bihar identified as Shashi Kumar Paswan.
Paswan, who has been working at the factory for the last two and a half months, alleged a delay in the arrival of ambulances, despite multiple phone calls. Many of the injured admitted to hospitals in Dewas and Indore were from UP and Bihar.
