Three persons including a minor died on Sunday when a fire broke out at an illegal firecracker godown at Nandarampur Daspara area under Budge Budge police station in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district.
The fire occurred on the second storey of a two-storied house at about 7.40 p.m. Locals said that they heard an explosion after which the fire spread on the second floor of the house. All the three victims were females and members of the same family.
The women were inside the house when the mishap took place. The officials of Budge Budge police station seized firecrackers from a godown, about 50 metre from the house where the incident occurred. The area is known for illegally manufacturing fireworks.
A fire official, who was present at the spot, said that household items were found and it was difficult to say with certainty whether it was a firework factory or a house.
The incident happened five days after an explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit at Khadikul village in Purba Medinipur district claimed 11 lives. The locals at Khadikul claimed that in the garb of manufacturing firecrackers, illegal bombs were manufactured at the village.
Majority of victims in both the incidents were women.
