Following the explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Khadikul village, East Midnapore district, West Bengal, a bomb squad team conducted an investigation at the site on Wednesday.
The blast occurred on Tuesday, resulting in the death of nine individuals and causing injuries to several others. The factory was operating illegally, and its owner, Krishnapada Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh, had been arrested last year with a chargesheet filed against him. The West Bengal Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken over the case and initiated a probe, aided by forensic experts.
Amarnath K, the Superintendent of Police in East Medinipur, stated that nine bodies had been recovered thus far, with efforts underway to determine if there are additional casualties. Two seriously injured individuals have been transferred to Kolkata’s SSKM Hospital from Egra Super Specialty Hospital.
The factory had a history of illegal operations, with multiple cases against it in the past. Despite previous raids, the accused continued to run the operation. Krishnapada Bagh alias Bhanu Bagh is currently being sought for arrest.
In response to the incident, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured.