M A I N   N E W S

1 killed, 7 hurt in cracker factory blast
Owner nabbed, DM orders probe
Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

Efforts on to extinguish the fire at the site of the blast which took place in a cracker factory in Bathinda town on Wednesday. — Photo by writer

Bathinda, October 6
At least one woman was killed and seven others (10 according to unconfirmed sources) including one child labourer were severely injured when a blast took place in an unauthorised cracker factory running in the thickly populated Udham Singh Nagar locality on the Bathinda-Dabwali road, this noon today.

The blast was so loud that it was heard in the range of about 2 km from its spot and reduced the building of the factory and its adjoining house to rubbles. The roof of two other houses and walls of one adjoining school developed big cracks.

However, a big tragedy was averted when nearly 150 students of an unauthorised school running in a dilapidated building situated adjacent to the site of blast ran for safety leaving their bags and shoes behind in their respective classrooms after they heard sounds of fire crackers, which burst before the blast took place.

Information gathered by TNS from spot revealed that blast took place in the cracker factory, running in two rooms when the gunpowder being used in the same caught fire. Initially a few crackers burst and then later there was a big blast and the entire building of the factory and its adjoining building having two rooms also came down.

The impact of the blast was so big that bricks, shoes, wooden sticks and other material flew like missiles and entered the houses which were located at a distance of about 50 metres from the site of blast. Some residents of houses located near the factory also suffered minor injuries when the missiles hit them after the blast. Even the iron girders were dented.

Gunny bags filled with gunpowder were also lying scattered here and there. Three fire tenders were pressed into service to prevent the gunpowder from catching fire after the blast.

The deceased had been identified as Shakuntla Devi, her two sons Mukesh Kumar and Happy and a daughter Neetu. Mr Harbans Lal, an ex-serviceman and husband of Shakuntla Devi, who was working in the house when the blast took place in the cracker factory having a common wall with his house, got disoriented from the shock. The other three daughters of Shakuntla Devi were away to school when the blast took place.

The other injured persons include Surjeet Singh, Bhagwant Singh (child labourer), Sukhdev Singh and Kala Singh.

Civil hospital sources said all the injured had been responding to treatment but they were being kept under observation as they had suffered multiple injuries. Volunteers of Sahara Jan Seva, an NGO, were looking after the injured.

Mr K.A.P. Sinha, District Magistrate, said a magisterial probe had been ordered into the incident and raids were being conducted on the unauthorised cracker factories, which had been running in this district.

Mr Kapil Dev, SSP, who along with the SP (D), Mr Ajay Maluja, reached on the spot within no time, said that a case under Section 304 of the IPC and the Explosive Act would be registered against Raju, the owner of the factory. He said Raju had been rounded up.

Bant Kaur, a resident of Udham Singh Nagar locality, said at first she saw a big cloud of smoke coming out from the factory then heard a big blast.

She said almost the occupants of all the houses of the locality went indoors after the blast took place. She said that factory owner used to test the missiles, which were being manufactured in the factory, every night. She said that another factory was also running in the same locality.

Raju, the factory owner, said he was running the factory without a licence. He added that he had deposited the required fee and completed all other formalities to get his old licence for manufacturing the crackers renewed from the authorities concerned. He said he had been running the factory since 1998 and shifted it to its new premises few years ago.

Meanwhile, Mr Harbans Lal, who was behaving abnormally, took the body of his wife from the mortuary of civil hospital forcibly without getting the post-mortem examination of the same. Dr J.S. Sandhu, SMO, Civil hospital, said he had informed the police in this connection.