Eighteen people were killed and several others sustained grievous injuries after a fire, triggered by a boiler explosion, broke out at a firecracker factory godown on Dhunva Road in Deesa town of Banaskantha district of Gujarat on Tuesday.
“Eighteen immigrant workers have lost their lives in the incident. No licence was issued for this facility. As per primary information, about 23 people were working at the time of the incident, and five of them sustained injuries. They have been rushed to a nearby hospital,” health minister Rushikesh Patel said.
“The death toll is seventeen as of now. There was a blast in the godown where firecrackers were stored. A slab has fallen where many workers were working,” CP Patel, resident additional collector of Banaskantha, said.
Authorities are still assessing the full impact of the situation and working to determine if others might be affected by the collapse, Patel said.
“A fire broke out around 9.30 am at the firecracker factory belonging to a person named Khupchand in Deesa. Rescue operations are underway, and the exact number of workers present at the time of the incident and those who managed to escape is unclear as of now,” said an official at the Deesa police station.
Fire brigade teams from Deesa municipality rushed to the site as the intensity of the fire led to chaos and panic among locals, with workers and bystanders scrambling for safety.
{{/usCountry}}Fire brigade teams from Deesa municipality rushed to the site as the intensity of the fire led to chaos and panic among locals, with workers and bystanders scrambling for safety.
{{/usCountry}}Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the incident and announced ₹4 lakh ex-gratia for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.
A team of approximately 200 rescue workers, including personnel from the municipality, police, and district administration, has reached the site, he said. Five fire engines and as many ambulances are engaged in the ongoing rescue operations, and the district collector is also present at the location, the official said.
Local police and administrative authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire and assess the extent of the damage, the official added.