A devastating explosion ripped through a house in South 24 Paraganas district, West Bengal, late Tuesday night, claiming the lives of eight persons of a family, including young children. While authorities are yet to determine the exact cause, local residents speculate that the blast occurred while firecrackers were being packed, possibly in preparation for the upcoming Basanti Puja and Basanti Mela.
The incident has left the community in shock and mourning. Surojit Mondal, a local resident, recounted the terrifying moment: “I had just taken dinner. Suddenly I heard a loud sound and soon I saw huge flames coming out of the house. Actually, Poila Baishakh (14th April) is here, there is a big fare here during that period. There is good demand for fireworks, which this family used to supply.”
Mondal also raised questions about the family’s licensing, stating, “They had procured a license, whether it was for selling or manufacturing, that we don’t know.”
The emotional toll of the tragedy was evident as a 7-year-old cousin of the deceased children struggled to process the loss. “My sister was about to turn 5 years old this April,” he managed to say, his voice filled with grief. “We were so excited for her birthday…”
On Tuesday morning, investigators recovered cracker-making spices and from a room adjacent to the destroyed house, further fueling speculation about the cause of the explosion. Cracker spices were also found scattered in a nearby field.
” Any wedding , annaprasan , mela or event this family used to sell firecrackers it seems they didn’t abide by the safety rules. Also About three years ago when there was a drive against fire crackers manufacturer , elder brother was arrested police had seized tons of firecrackers. Now he came back and started doing same business, how is it possible thst police jad no knowledge about it,” said Bimal Saha another local person
Pathar Pratimar MLA Sameer Jana acknowledged that Chandrakant, the elder brother in the family, was involved in the firecracker business. “Chandrakant used to make firecrackers at a place near his house,” Jana stated. “However, there were several firecrackers stored in the house as well. He guessed that Chandrakant used to sell firecrackers from his house.”
However, concerns have been raised by some villagers regarding the storage of such hazardous materials in a residential area. Some locals even claimed to have heard loud noises prior to the explosion, suggesting the possibility of illegal firework manufacturing.
Babla Roy, Chairman of the West Bengal Fire Crackers Development Association, visited the site and emphasized the need for a thorough investigation. “Whether it was a firecracker or a bomb, only forensic reports can confirm,” Roy stated. “I didn’t find any bomb-making raw material there. As far as my knowledge, they had a selling license, not a manufacturing license. The local administration was definitely at fault.”