Debris is seen at the site after a blast at an illegal firecracker factory at Egra in East Midnapore on May 17. Photo Credit: ANI
After at least 14 people were killed in illegal firecracker manufacturing units in the last one week, the West Bengal government on May 22 constituted a committee to probe such illegal units. The committee, headed by the state’s chief secretary, will submit its report in two months, state minister Firhad Hakim said. The minister said that people work in these factories as they are located close to their homes.
three peopleIn West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, on the evening of May 21, a fire broke out in an illegal godown of firecrackers in Nandrampur Daspara area under Bajaj police station area, including a minor. On 22 May, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police launched an investigation into the incident. Police officials recovered a huge cache of firecrackers from the spot where three female members of a family were killed in a fire. Two people were arrested in connection with the incident.
Read this also | Women trapped in ‘cottage industry’ of bomb-making in West Bengal’s Khadikul
During the day, some police personnel tried to prevent media persons from entering the Budge Budge area where the accident took place. Local residents also prevented media persons from entering the area. Later, the seized firecrackers kept at the Buzz Buzz police station also caught fire. Firefighters extinguished the fire. A case of illegal firecracker making has come to the fore in Mahestla Baj Baj area of the district.
On 16 May, a explosion in illegal firecracker manufacturing The unit killed 11 people in Khadikul village of Purba Medinipur district. on the locals Khadikul village Claimed that illegal bombs were made in the village under the guise of making firecrackers. Krishnapad Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh, the main accused in the incident, died in the incident on May 19.
On Monday, an explosion occurred at the house of a Trinamool Congress worker at Dubrajpur in the state’s Birbhum district. Locals claimed that crude bombs were kept in Morilal Shaikh’s house and some bombs exploded at around 2.30 pm. No one was injured in this explosion.
Referring to these incidents, Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly Shubhendu Adhikari said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who holds the portfolio of the state home department, has failed as a minister, and should resign. Demanding the National Investigation Agency to investigate the blasts, Mr. Adhikari said that such incidents bring bad name to the state.