• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

As many as 12 persons were killed after an explosion jolted an illegal firework factory in Madhya Pradesh's Harda district on Tuesday. Over 59 were injured in the incident, which took place in Bairagarh village. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav convened an emergency meeting and instructed his ministers and senior officials to rush to the spot. He also ordered the medical colleges in Bhopal and Indore and the burn unit in AIIMS Bhopal to be ready to treat the injured. Fire brigades from Indore and Bhopal were also dispatched to Harda.

CM Yadav assigned Minister Uday Pratap Singh responsibility for overseeing the rescue operation. He also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for each of the kin of the deceased. 

"Six people have died and more than 50 people are injured in this incident. Over 50 ambulances were sent to the spot. Our minister Uday Pratap Singh, DG Home and around 400 police officials have left for the spot. We are trying to control the fire and provide immediate assistance to the injured. We will provide Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and the injured will be given free treatment,'' he said in a video message.

After the incident was reported, police and fire brigade teams rushed to the factory and a rescue operation was launched to douse flames and rescue the workers trapped inside the factory. 

"An explosion took place in a firecracker factory today morning. A rescue operation is underway. Six deaths have been confirmed and 59 others are injured. The injured are getting treatment in the District Hospital and seriously injured patients are being shifted to Bhopal and Indore," the district administration said.

The factory, located in Bairagarh village on Magardha Road, was operating illegally and employed 500 to 700 workers. Dozens of them were present at the time of the blast. The extent of the damage is not yet known.

The blast was so powerful that it shook the ground up to 20 kilometres away and sent plumes of smoke into the sky. Some videos of the blast have gone viral on social media, showing the intensity of the explosion.

A rescue team of 19 SDRF personnel with firefighting equipment and other disaster materials was also deployed. Four fire vehicles from the Betul district were also sent to the scene.

The Chief Minister said that the best treatment of the injured was his priority and assured that the government would provide all possible assistance to the victims and their families.