Severe blast in illegal firecracker factory in West Bengal, injures one
Times of India | 10 June 2024
KOLKATA: An illegal firecracker factory operating in a house in Prayag village, Kolaghat area of Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal experienced a severe blast late Sunday night. The explosion caused serious injuries to one person and extensively damaged the house, blowing off its roof and damaging the walls and windows, a police officer informed PTI.
The impact of the blast also affected 4-5 neighboring houses in the village."An illegal firecracker manufacturing unit was operational inside the house of Ananda Maity. The roof of the house was blown off and the walls and windows were damaged. One person was injured," the officer said.
Authorities have deployed police personnel around the damaged house as they conduct an investigation into the incident. This blast comes nearly a year after a similar incident in May 2022, when an illegal firecracker factory operating in a house in Khadikul village, within the same district, experienced an explosion that claimed the lives of 12 people.
In a separate issue, human-elephant conflicts have become a growing concern in Chhattisgarh over the past decade, particularly in the northern districts of Surguja, Raigarh, Korba, Surajpur, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balod, and Balrampur. The forest department reports that elephant attacks have resulted in the deaths of approximately 260 people in the state over the last three years.