Inconsolable family members of those who died in the blast at the Batala firecracker factory started pouring in at the crematorium on Thursday even as the anger against the local administration was palpable. As many as 23 people died in the deadly explosion.
The incident, which according to officials was a result of “multiple lapses”, has not just left the family members of the victims but also local residents furious.
Since morning, Manjeet Singh has been running from one hospital to another with the hope of finding the body of his 50-year-old elder brother Satnam Singh, who was apparently killed in the blast.
“I saw the picture of (the dead body) of my brother in a newspaper and on WhatsApp. He came from Amritsar only yesterday to work here at the factory. Since morning I have been trying to search for him but without any luck. The hospital staff here says the body is not at this hospital. Where do I go?” asked Manjeet, who drives an autorickshaw in Amritsar and has been camping at Batala’s Civil Hospital.
At the Civil Hospital, tempers ran high as several family members shouted slogans against the local administration, alleging “inaction” against the firecracker factory owner despite complaints.
“We want justice, nothing else. Those responsible should not go unpunished. In 2017 also a blast took place in this factory and two people had died. Has the administration been sleeping? Strict action should be taken against all officials who are found guilty,” said Prabhdeep Singh, who lost his sister Ramandeep Kaur (35), a college teacher, and nephew, Pahuldeep Singh (4) in the incident and was at the cremation ground.
Ramandeep’s brother-in-law Amandeep Singh Sandhu said he was inside his home with family when the explosion took place. “I I heard a series of loud explosions. We are a joint family of 13 members. Besides Ramandeep and her son Pahuldeep, everyone was home. While many of us sustained injuries as window panes shattered, I lost my sister-in law and nephew. They both had gone the nearby gurdwara and got buried under the derbies of the factory. She was parking her scooter when the building collapsed,” said Mr. Sandhu, whose house shares a wall with the factory, near the Hansali bridge.
“While we kept dialling her cell phone, which was ringing, we didn't realise that that both mother and child were dead until the rubble was cleared around three hours later,” he said.
The family that owned the firecracker factory lost seven of its members, while 11 labourers working there also died.
Deputy Commissioner Vipul Ujwal told The Hindu : “There are 23 deaths so far. The forensic team has collected the samples from the site. The National Disaster Response Force, which is using sniffer dogs, has informed us that the chances of finding anyone alive under the debris was unlikely. We are in process of demolishing the remaining part of the building, and there could be chances of finding more bodies.”
“We are trying to find the fault. Such kind of accident is a result of cumulative faults and not because of the involvement of any single person... Multiple lapses at multiple levels over a prolonged period of time... So now we have to go out and find out who are these multiple stakeholders,” he said.
The factory owner had obtained the licence for storage of explosives in the year 2001 and it had expired in 2016 and not renewed, a preliminary inquiry by the local administration has revealed. Also, the address given on the licence (which mentions Kahnuwan Road) is different from the present location (Hansali bridge).
“We are ascertaining facts including those relating to locations of the factory. Its a matter of investigation. The factory owner had permission to store 25 pounds of explosives. How much they had stored is yet not clear but it seems it was far more than what was permitted,” said Mr. Ujwal.
The police, meanwhile, have registered an FIR under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 345 of Explosive Substance Act, against the owners of the factory.
