Eleven persons were killed and four others were injured in a blast at a cracker factory in Pingla in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district on Wednesday night.
The owner of the factory Ranjan Maity has reportedly been arrested by the police. Villagers claimed that he was associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). About eight child labourers, the factory co-ownery, his wife and son have been killed in the blast. A forensics team and officials of the Criminal Investigation Department have rushed to the site.
Dismissing claims that Mr. Ranjan Maity was associated with the TMC, local party leader president Nirmal Ghosh told the media that the factory owner was briefly associated in the party but had expelled for engaging in criminal activities.
While Paschim Medinipur Superintendent of Police Bharati Ghosh remained unavailable for comment, villagers claimed that a total of 20 persons were killed in the blast and the bodies were hurriedly removed from the site by the police. Alleging that the cracker factory was illegal and used a cover up to make crude bombs, villagers claimed that the owners ran the factory since the past four years with the help of the local police.
Opposition parties have condemned the blast.
PTI adds:
Mamata orders CID probe
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday ordered a CID probe into the explosion at an illegal firecracker unit in Pingla that claimed 11 lives.
“Several people died in Pingla. We have ordered a CID investigation into it,” she said during a programme in Namkhana.
“How could so many firecrackers be prepared at one place and how so many explosive substances were accumulated in one place ?” Ms. Banerjee asked.
“I ask all Green police (civic police) personnel in all villages to keep a watch on such activities and to inform the local police station if they find explosive substances being accumulated at any place,” she said.
She also asked the media to keep an eye on any untoward activity and share information with the authorities.
