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, identified as Somesh Aggarwal and Rajesh Aggarwal, have been arrested in connection with the incident. Workers at the factory said there were no safety precautions in place and that the building did not even have a fire extinguisher. They also said the factory included a wholesale shop, resulting in a large stock of firecrackers being stored there. The incident took place at around 11.30 am at the factory, located in Bairagarh village. After the explosions, rescue operations were impeded by smoke, fire and debris. The first two firetenders, who arrived within 20 minutes of the blasts, were left 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. It was then that rescue workers were able to go inside the factory, which was by then gutted. Several vehicles parked in the vicinity were also left mangled in the fire. By late evening, rescue workers began clearing the debris from the site which was still thick with smoke. Still burning embers and gunpowder continued to set off the odd batch of firecrackers buried beneath the rubble. Most of the injured victims were at the city hospital in Harda, lying in bed with packets of juice, yellow rice and a box of sweets given to them by local politicians. Anoop Prajapati (32), was at the factory site when he heard a loud blast and got injured in the head. As he regained his senses, he realised the factory was on fire. Bleeding from his head, he fled from the factory, but his uncle, Priyanshu, who had gone into the building thinking his nephew was trapped, got trapped himself and died. “I fled in the chaos, but my uncle died. I used to set the fuse and binders on the fire crackers. Even in the past, there have been accidents. The difference is that this time, people died,” Anoop said, rubbing his hands that were still covered in gunpowder. Dinesh Badodia (22) used to do odd jobs in Mumbai before becoming an employee at the factory around four months ago. He worked eight-hour shifts setting fuses to around 1,000 firecrackers on a daily basis. “I earned Rs 200 a day. My mother also worked here, and we would make sutli bombs (a popular firecracker). Our floor had around 30 people working at a time, and there were a lot of firecrackers in stock,” he said. Describing the incident, he said, “The first blast was in the tin shed where they store firecrackers, and it caused the walls of our building to come down. I was hit in the head with rocks. Another employee, who went out, had his head smashed by a rock (which was among the debris flying around due to the intensity of the blasts). Many people died in that chaos.” Mohit Chauhan (19), also at the hospital, nursed head injuries as his family members doted over him at the hospital. “The problem was this was also a wholesale store. There was a store downstairs and people came and bought firecrackers. This whole facility was stocked with a lot of firecrackers, and no fire extinguishers,” he said. Inspector General of Police 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. We are looking into those allegations,” he said. In connection with Tuesday’s incident, a case was filed against the arrested accused under sections 304 (culpable homicide), 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), and 34 (criminal act by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and section 3 of the Explosives Act, Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kanchan said. Harda Additional District Magistrate Nagarjuna Gowda said the factory was located on 10,000 square feet of agricultural land, and had been sealed once in the past. “We have identified the owners as Rajesh Agarwal and Somesh Agarwal, both residents of Harda. This factory had violations in the past and its licence was suspended. We are suspecting that the factory had stocked firecrackers over the prescribed limit,” he said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav constituted a three-member committee to investigate 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. “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,” the PM wrote in a post on X. 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. Most of the people who worked in the factory used to make 1,500-2,000 firecrackers on a daily basis. With a lack of jobs in the region, the firecracker factory was the only source of employment for many, and entire families worked in the two-storey building, workers said.
