A massive explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in North 24 Parganas’s Duttapukur, located barely 20km from Kolkata airport, claimed at least eight lives and left five others injured. The blast occurred around 10 a.m. on Sunday, while several individuals were working at the factory in Nilgunj’s Moshpole within the Duttapukur police station area, about 30 km north of Kolkata, according to police reports. Tragically, two women were among the deceased.
The injured victims have been admitted to Barasat Hospital for treatment. The death toll is expected to rise, local police sources mentioned, as the condition of some blast survivors remains extremely critical.
The force of the explosion was so intense that it completely demolished the building’s roof, scattering charred and dismembered body parts nearly 200 feet away onto roads and nearby houses. The impact even caused damage to several neighboring structures.
Police and the CID’s bomb disposal squad members arrived at the site to sift through the debris left by the firecracker blast. While official reports stated the death toll at eight during the compilation of this report, locals insisted they witnessed around 12 bodies being loaded into ambulances from the accident site. This claim, however, lacked official confirmation.
Following the blast, some local residents protested against the police, alleging that the illegal factory had been operating with support from local law enforcement. They revealed having lodged several complaints about the illicit fireworks facility, but no action was taken.
A few residents attempted to attack the warehouse owner’s house. When a significant police contingent arrived, locals demanded answers about the prolonged police inaction.
Tensions escalated as both the TMC and BJP engaged in a verbal exchange. The BJP demanded a NIA (National Investigation Agency) probe, while the Trinamool accused the BJP of engaging in “vulture politics.”
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition from the BJP, claimed that the state had become a warehouse of potential disasters due to a lack of police oversight. He alleged, “Police do not monitor illegal activities.
