An explosion ripped through a firecracker factory in Champahati under West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, leaving four people seriously injured.

Meanwhile, a fire broke out after the blast, and a fire tender was pressed into service to douse it.

The injured were first taken to the Baruipur Super Speciality Hospital and then shifted to Kolkata. One of the injured has reportedly suffered 90 per cent burns.

According to locals, the explosion took place while work was going on in the factory, and the impact of the blast was so great that a part of the building and a nearby large tree were gutted.

Police sources informed that the owner of the house is absconding. Pratap Sengupta, Additional Superintendent of Police, Baruipur Police District, said, “We received information about an explosion at a firecracker factory in the Haral area of Champahati on Saturday morning. The police have reached the spot. The injured have been taken to a medical centre. The cause of the explosion is being investigated.”

In December 2024, three people had died in another explosion at a firecracker factory in Champahati.