21 killed, six injured in boiler blast at illegal factory in Gujarat

The blast occurred in the godown where firecrackers were stored, causing the roof to collapse on workers.

Twenty-one people lost their lives, and six others sustained injuries after a fire, triggered by a boiler explosion, engulfed an illegal firecracker factory godown on Dhunva Road in Deesa town of Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on Tuesday morning.

Debris being removed after a massive blaze triggered by a blast raged through a firecracker warehouse in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on Tuesday. (PTI)

It emerged that a December application by the factory, seeking renewal of its licence, was rejected following an adverse report by the police after an inspection, during which they found no safety measures.

District collector Mihir Patel said late on Tuesday that 21 people were killed and six injured. “All the deceased people were originally from Harda and Dewas districts of Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

According to CP Patel, resident additional collector of Banaskantha, the blast occurred in the godown where firecrackers were stored, causing the roof to collapse on workers.

Earlier, health minister Rushikesh Patel said, “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.” He added that authorities were still assessing the full impact and checking for any further casualties.The facility belonging to Khupchand Sindhi from Deesa. It is not clear why it was allowed to function even after the police inspection.

“This was basically a firecracker storage unit and they had license since 2021. The firm sought a renewal of their license to continue this business in December. However, the police had given a negative review of their premises, looking at the fire safety situation, which was non-existent,” said a government official who asked not to be named.

Despite the pending approval, operations continued until the fatal incident. Patel said that local police refused to renew the license due to the absence of proper safety measures.

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 government official cited in the first instance added.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called for a swift investigation and demanded the harshest punishment for those responsible.

“Fires and explosions frequently occur in such factories, claiming the lives of poor workers who leave their homes in search of a livelihood. To prevent such tragedies, there must be strict enforcement of safety regulations and clear accountability for those responsible,” he wrote in a post on X.