Rescue ops on at blast-hit firecrackers unit in Madhya Pradesh; Over 100 people hospitalised, 2 missing

Harda: More than 100 people were still undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Madhya Pradesh while two persons were missing a day after a blast rocked a firecrackers factory in Harda town and caused fire, officials said on Wednesday.

Rescue operations continued through the night at the site of the incident which claimed 11 lives and left more than 200 people injured, they said.

The incident took place on Tuesday at the firecrackers unit located in the Bairagarh locality on Magardha Road, on the outskirts of Harda town, approximately 150 km from the state capital Bhopal.

Sub Divisional Officer of Police BS Maurya, who was posted at the district hospital in Harda, on Wednesday morning said he has a list of 217 people, of whom 11 have died.

Among those injured, 73 people were admitted to the district hospital. These included 51 factory workers and 22 people living in the vicinity of the explosion site, he said.

Maurya said 38 injured people were referred to other cities for treatment, while 95 were discharged.

Two persons are reported to be missing, he added.

Sub Divisional Magistrate KC Parte told PTI that the debris was being removed and fire pockets found underneath were doused using fire tenders.

Two owners of the firecrackers factory were arrested by the police on Tuesday and booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, among other charges, officials earlier said. Another person was detained in connection with the incident.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will meet the injured persons and families of the deceased in Harda on Wednesday, an official said. The cause of the explosion was not yet known, officials said.

The sound of the explosion was heard 25 kilometres away and eyewitnesses said body parts were scattered at a distance from the site and vehicles on a nearby road were hit by splinters.

The state government has constituted a three-member committee to be headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to conduct a detailed probe into the explosion at the firecrackers unit. The panel is also mandated to fix the responsibility of those officials who were supposed to prevent such incidents.