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Blast at Dewas firecracker factory kills five, 23 injured, owner Anil Malviya held under NSA, licences suspended, probe by PESO and others, CM Mohan Yadav vows strict action
The death toll in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district rose to five on Friday. (Representative Image)
The death toll in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district rose to five on Friday after two more injured workers succumbed during treatment, officials said. Twenty-three others are still undergoing treatment at hospitals.
Dewas additional district magistrate Sanjeev Jain said the two workers, who had suffered severe burn injuries in the blast and were admitted to a private hospital in Dewas, died during treatment.
Following the incident, police arrested factory owner Anil Malviya under provisions of the National Security Act (NSA). Officials said Malviya held a licence to operate the firecracker factory in the Tonk Kalan area of Dewas district.
Authorities have also suspended the factory’s firecracker licence after the explosion.
The blast occurred on Thursday and left several workers injured, many with critical burn injuries. Officials said an investigation into the cause of the explosion is underway.
Three workers who were injured in the fire have been admitted to the Government Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital in Indore.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited the hospital to enquire about the well-being of the victims.
He told reporters, “We have taken action against the owner of the firecracker factory under the National Security Act (NSA). We are conducting a detailed investigation into the incident, and further action will be taken based on the investigation report.” The chief minister said, “The state government will not spare anyone guilty in this case. This incident serves as a lesson, and we hope it will not be repeated.” Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Dewda said that along with the factory owner’s arrest, a magisterial inquiry has also been ordered.
Home Department Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Shukla said that officials from the central government’s Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), the State Pollution Control Board, and the Forensic Science Laboratory are investigating the explosion at the firecracker factory.
District Magistrate Rituraj Singh said that two licenses for manufacturing and selling firecrackers were issued to factory owner Malviya.
He said, “These licenses were first issued on December 23 last year. They were renewed on May 6 this year.” According to Singh, the factory had begun manufacturing small firecrackers only 15 days ago.
Meanwhile, state Congress president Jitu Patwari arrived at the scene and criticised the state government over the incident. Patwari said, “This incident shows that the gunpowder mafia, which imports raw materials from China, has established its dominance in the state.” He alleged that the owner of the firecracker factory enjoys the patronage of leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Patwari claimed that firecrackers manufactured at the factory were being illegally stored in agricultural produce warehouses and that more than 40 minor boys were working at the factory. He demanded the immediate suspension of the district magistrate for his alleged failure to prevent irregularities at the factory.
Madhya Pradesh, India, India
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