Blast at illegal firecracker unit in Banaskantha kills 21, triggers outrage
AHMEDABAD: A powerful explosion and fire at an illegal firecracker storage and manufacturing facility in Banaskantha district claimed at least 21 lives, including women and children, on Tuesday. Six others sustained injuries in the incident.
The blast, which occurred around 9:30 am at Deepak Firecrackers' warehouse in Deesa, led to a massive fire, trapping several workers inside. The intensity of the explosion reduced an adjacent structure to rubble, scattering debris over a 200-meter radius. Firefighters and rescue teams, including the SDRF, launched operations to contain the blaze and recover victims.
Authorities confirmed that many of the deceased were migrant laborers from Madhya Pradesh who had recently arrived for work. Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana stated that ongoing efforts were being made to ensure no one remained trapped inside. District Collector Mihir Patel described the explosion as severe enough to collapse the factory's slab, affecting nearby residential areas.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced compensation of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured. However, grieving families criticized the aid as insufficient, demanding stricter accountability. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured full assistance to affected workers and their families while maintaining communication with Gujarat authorities.
The incident has sparked political reactions, with Congress accusing the state government of negligence. Party President Shakti Sinh Gohil criticized repeated industrial disasters and the administration’s delayed response.
Police have arrested the owner of the godown and confirmed that the operation was running illegally without regulatory approvals. Investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the explosion and identify further liabilities.
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Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
