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Firecracker factory in Solapur that caught fire running illegally, two booked
The Solapur rural police have booked factory owner Yusuf Hajji Maniyar and one more person under section 304 (culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various provisions of the Explosives Act
A day after a factory manufacturing firecrackers near Pangari in Barshi tehsil caught fire, charring four persons to death and injuring several others, the police have found that the factory was running illegally and did not have any firefighting equipment on site.
On Monday, Sunil Phulare, Kolhapur Range’s new special inspector general (IG) visited the spot. Phulare said, “We have booked two persons under various sections of IPC and Explosive Act and our teams are looking for them. His license renewal is pending with the district magistrate authority even after that he was running his activity there. Our teams are investigating whether they engaged in any other illegal activity at the plant.”
Himmant Jadhav, additional superintendent of police, Solapur rural police, said, “In the course of the investigation, it was found that the firecrackers’ factory was running illegally at the site. Permission to manufacture firecrackers was given to the factory at a different location but the factory owner shifted it to another location without informing anyone. Hence, his firecracker manufacturing setup was illegal and he was operating illegally.”
Another officer of the Solapur rural police said that there was no proper firefighting system on site and no safety precautions had been taken. In fact, operations were being carried out by workers under a tin roof.
The Solapur rural police have booked factory owner Yusuf Hajji Maniyar and one more person under section 304 (culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and various provisions of the Explosives Act.
On Monday, the death toll in the fire that broke out at the factory rose to four, with one person critically injured and admitted to hospital for medical treatment. Following the fire on Sunday, the police and fire brigade rushed to the site even as it was announced that the exact reason behind the fire would be revealed after investigation. According to police officials, firecrackers were stored in the factory unit where 60 workers were employed. However, it is unclear as to how many people were present inside the factory when it caught fire as the manufacturing unit was closed on Sunday.
According to an eyewitness, after the fire broke out at around 2.30 pm, minor explosions occurred, resulting in massive fumes in the factory. The fire brigade and police rushed to the scene and began rescue operations. Because of the firecrackers, the fire spread rapidly and many were feared to be trapped in the inferno. The firecracker-manufacturing unit is located on a hillock with no other industries around it.
