SIT visits blast site in Una, DC orders probe

Rajesh Sharma

Una, February 23

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police, constituted by the state government to probe the blast in an illegal firecracker unit operating in a tin shed at the Bathu industrial area of Haroli subdivision, visited the site today.

The Una Deputy Commissioner ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Six women workers were burnt alive on Tuesday while 14 others were injured, who are under treatment at the PGI, Chandigarh.

SIT, headed by DIG (North Zone) Sumedha Duwedi, comprises Una SP Arijut Sen Thakur and Commandant of the First India Reserve Batallion Vimukt Ranjan. It was accompanied by experts of the Police Forensic Laboratory at Dharamsala and explosives experts, who collected samples.

In view of the Vidhan Sabha session that began today, the SIT did not reveal any information to the media. However, it has been learnt that Jai Guru Dev Industries had been allotted a plot in the industrial area for manufacturing firecrackers and kite flying string.

However, due to a shortage of space, the factory management shifted firecracker manufacturing work to a vacant shed at a nearby plot, where the blast occurred. The plot was earlier allotted to a factory for manufacturing weighing scales, but it had stopped functioning and its tin shed was lying vacant.

Una Deputy Commissioner Raghav Sharma ordered a magisterial inquiry headed by Haroli SDM Vishal Sharma into the incident. He also delegated powers under Section 9(2) of the Explosives Act to the SDM, besides the power to inspect and confiscate goods under Rule 128 of the Act.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar said that the owner of the factory was absconding and efforts were underway to nab him.

Meanwhile, this afternoon, family members of Ropar resident Sunita, who is one of the deceased, staged a protest on the factory premises. They were in Una to receive Sunita’s body.

Industries Minister Bikram Singh, too, visited the blast site and interacted with officials and eyewitnesses. He said that a nodal officer had been appointed to facilitate the treatment of patients admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh. He added that a system to check illegal activities in industrial areas would be developed. He directed officers of the Industries Department to regularly inspect the industrial areas.

The minister said that the district administration had sealed another unit that was illegally manufacturing firecrackers in the Bathadi-Bela section of the industrial area. He directed the Deputy Commissioner to ensure that all industrial units display the names and number of workers at a conspicuous place outside the unit premises.

Chairman of the State Finance Commission Satpal Singh Satti and Vice-Chairman of the HP State Finance Commission Ram Kumar accompanied the minister. They along with the members of the SIT consoled the aggrieved family members and assured them of action against the factory management.