The explosions in a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh's Harda district on Tuesday, which killed 11 people and left 174 injured, began with a blast inside a tin shed storing gunpowder, and as people ran for cover, a second blast of higher intensity wreaked even more havoc, eyewitnesses said. The owners of the factory, Somesh Aggarwal and Rajesh Aggarwal, have been arrested in connection with the incident. Workers at the factory said there were no safety measures in place and the building did not even have a fire extinguisher. They also said there was a wholesale shop inside the factory due to which a large stock of firecrackers was stored on the premises. The incident took place around 11.30 am at the factory, located in Bairagarh village. After the explosions, rescue operations were impeded by smoke, fire and debris. VIDEO | Blast at a firecracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/MtdLjUFrQJ — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 6, 2024 The first two firetenders, which arrived within 20 minutes of the blasts, were unable to proceed as the intensity of the flames grew. More firefighters and fire trucks from adjoining districts soon turned up, and they managed to douse the fire by around 2.30 pm. Anoop Prajapati (32) was at the factory site when he heard a loud blast and got injured in the head. As he regained consciousness, he realised the factory was on fire. Bleeding from the head, he fled, but his uncle, Priyanshu, who had gone into the building thinking his nephew was trapped, got trapped and died. Distressed by the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. Condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is assisting all those affected. Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF… — PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 6, 2024 IGP Irshad Wali told The Indian Express that police were looking into violations that may have been committed by the factory owners. “This factory had four licences, and one of them had expired. Two of the licences were issued from the Central government and two from the state government… Cases have been registered against the factory in 2015 and 2018 as well,” he said. Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav formed a three-member panel to probe the incident. The panel will be headed by Principal Secretary (Home) Sanjay Dubey. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation for the families of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 each to the injured. Additionally, the state government announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased and said it would bear the entire cost of treatment of the injured.
