Five killed, 28 injured in blast at illegal cracker factory in Muktsar

Most injured were migrants from Hathras of UP and had joined work less than a fortnight ago

- Vishal Joshi

SINGHEWALA (MUKTSAR): Five migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh were killed and 28 were injured when a blast ripped through an illegal firecracker manufacturing and packaging unit and brought the two-storeyed building down on the outskirts of Singhewala village in Lambi sub tehsil of Punjab's Muktsar district early on Friday, police said.

The blast occurred around 1 am in the two-storeyed factory located in a field adjoining the Singhawali-Kotli road bordering Haryana, Lambi deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jaspal Singh said, adding that migrant labourers worked at the unit.

Those killed were identified as Shailender Kumar and Rahul of Hathras, Neeraj and Danveer of Aligarh and Akhilesh of Faizabad, all aged between 18 and 20, said officials.

Muktsar deputy commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish said the injured were rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, and civil hospital at Badal village in Muktsar.

"The blast occurred in one of the rooms in the factory, leading to the roof collapsing. Rescue work was complete by noon. Most casualties have been due to the damage to the building and not by the fire," Muktsar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Akhil Chaudhary said, adding that factory owner Tarsem Singh has been arrested.

"A first information report (FIR) was lodged under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118 (2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means) 3 (5) (a criminal act done by several persons WITH common intention), Explosive Act and Factories Act. More arrests are likely based on the further probe," said the SSP.

Malout sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Jaspal Brar said all the hospitalised workers are out of danger and added that the cause behind the blast is under investigation.