3 children among 9 dead in blast and fire at illegal firecracker unit in Ahmedabad

Fire accident at a firecracker manufacturing plot near Mehmoodpura in Ramol area of Ahmedabad on Saturday. (Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana)

Ramila is undergoing treatment at LG hospital for burns and is said to be in a stable condition.

Sources told The Indian Express that the application for licence filed by the factory had been rejected and it was operating from a shed in an open area illegally.

The explosion, whose cause is yet to be determined, was heard several kilometres away. Sources at the Talent International School, located a few kilometres away, told The Indian Express, “We heard the sound of the blast in the afternoon”.

The bodies of the deceased and the injured persons were dispatched to two hospitals by ambulance. Dr Rakesh Joshi, Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, said that one woman was brought dead and five injured, including four men and a woman, remained under treatment. Of these, four persons have burn injuries while one suffered from smoke inhalation.

Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana

A statement from the AMC said of the nine people taken to its LG hospital in Maninagar, four were declared dead on arrival, while four died during treatment. “All these patients were taken to the hospital with nearly 95% burns,” said the AMC, which runs the hospital.

Among the dead were three children – Ravina Charan, 12, and a seven-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl who are yet to be identified. The fourth victim has been identified as Azhar Ali, 24.

LG Hospital Superintendent Leena Dabhi said the condition of the injured woman – Ramila – is stable.

Sector-2 Additional Commissioner of Police Jaypal Singh Rathore said, “The incident occurred in the eastern area of Ahmedabad city, behind the RAF camp in the Ramol police station jurisdiction, on the Ramol-Gatrad Road. A person named Mehul Dodiya was operating the illegal firecracker factory in an open field near the canal. The factory’s licence had already been cancelled, but the factory was operational.”

Rathore said Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have been summoned to the site.

Express Photo by Bhupendra Rana

An AMC statement said, “In this incident, 1 mini fighter, 2 water bowsers (20 KL capacity), 2 Bolero Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIV) and 1 ambulance have been deployed at the spot by the fire department. The operation was led by Chief Fire Officer Amit Dongre, 2 Additional Chief Fire Officers, 1 Deputy Chief Fire Officer, 1 Divisional Fire Officer, 1 Station Fire Officer and 1 Sub Officer.”

“The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained,” the AMC said. Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot, Standing Committee Chairman Kamlesh Patel, and other office bearers reached the spot and took stock of the situation.

PM, CM condole deaths

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel condoled the death of people in the fire accident and announced ex-gratia to the affected people.

“Extremely saddened to hear about the loss of lives due to a mishap at a fireworks factory in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. My thoughts are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. The local administration is providing all possible assistance to those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000,” PM Modi said in an X post.

In an X post, CM Patel said, “The news of the tragedy at a firecracker factory in Ahmedabad is deeply saddening. I pray to God to grant peace to the souls of those who lost their lives in this accident. I extend my deepest condolences to their families…The state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.”

Factory owners booked

The three owners of the factory, Mehul Bhailal Dodiya, his mother Ramila Bhailal Dodiya, and their business partner Sadiq Saiyyed were booked on Saturday evening in an FIR filed at Ramol police station based on a complaint by PSI JP Solanki.

The FIR said that Mehul Dodiya, his mother Ramila Dodiya and Sadiq Saiyyed had rented the land on survey number 629/1/2/3, and had been illegally running a firecracker factory without any permissions or licences.

The FIR, citing the PSI, stated that several victims such as Ajay Dinesh Damor (26), Payal Ajay Damor (25), Bharat Varsingh Charan (26), Suresh Atham Damor (38), Govind Bhikha Damor (48) had been moved to hospitals for treatment while at least one woman, named Ramila Bharat Charan (37), was declared dead. The FIR stated that nine people, including children, lost their lives and six persons were injured in the fire.

The three accused persons were booked under BNS sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 287 (negligent conduct with fire or combustive materials), 288 (negligent conduct with explosive substances, and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy). They were also booked under sections 5a and 6 of the Explosive Substances Act and section 9 (b) of The Explosives Act.