Bhopal: At least three labourers were on Thursday killed and 23 others injured in an explosion in a firecracker unit in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district.
The death toll may climb further, official reports reaching here said.
“A fire broke out in a firecracker unit located in Tonk Kalan area leading to an explosion in which three people were killed. Around 15 persons were sent to hospitals in Dewas and Indore”, Dewas district collector Rituraj Singh, who inspected the mishap site, said.
Mr. Singh said that the fire has been brought under control and the explosives stored in another location inside the unit have been taken under possession by the administration.
The factory was opened a fortnight ago by one Anil Malvya.
A licence was issued for the unit, he said.
Viral videos capturing the incident showed smoke, billowing out of the unit, covering a stretch of Agra- Mumbai National Highway in the area.
Another video going viral showed some of the injured workers running with their clothes stuck in their skins.
The explosion was so powerful that the nearby houses were shaken by its impact, officials said.
Chief minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the tragedy and ordered a probe into the incident.
He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs four lakh each to the next kin of the deceased and free medical treatment for the injured.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
