Kolkata, Oct 7 : At least 13 people were injured when a fire broke out at a fireworks factory Sunday in South 24 Parganas district's Sonarpur area, police said.
The owner of the factory, who was also injured in the fire, was detained, a senior officer of Sonarpur Police Station said.
Nine of the injured have been released after preliminary medical assistance at Baruipur hospital. The condition of one among the remaining four, who were referred to a state-run hospital in the city, is stated to be critical, he said.
The incident occurred at Sonarpur's Gobindopur area.
Three fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames which broke out at the factory at around 12.40 pm on Sunday, a fire department official said.
"This was a small factory with only a tin shed and small walls on four sides. There were some finished and unfinished firecrackers at the factory," the official said.
The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, a police officer said adding that there was a couple of blasts from the factory which damaged a few nearby houses too.
The fire was doused at around 3.40 pm, he said.
"The owner is undergoing treatment in the hospital and we are waiting for his release to question him," the police officer said.
Other materials and commodities used to manufacture firecrackers were seized from the factory, the officer added.
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Mumbai, Mar 18 (PTI): An alleged acid attack on a Class 6 girl student in Sangamner prompted the Congress to slam the Maharashtra government in the legislative assembly on Wednesday, alleging deterioration in law and order in the state.
Calling the alleged incident in Ahilyanagar district “extremely disturbing”, Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the government of failing to curb crimes against women and minor girls.
Raising the issue through an adjournment motion, Wadettiwar demanded an immediate discussion, claiming that the minor is in a serious condition and the accused are yet to be arrested.
He questioned how the accused managed to flee after committing such a serious offence. The Congress leader also criticised the functioning of the local police, alleging inefficiency and corruption, and said such lapses embolden criminals.
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Wadettiwar further claimed that incidents of atrocities against minor girls have increased in the state, and the government has failed to take effective action.
Speaker Rahul Narwekar took note of the issue and directed the government to present a detailed statement in the house on the incident at the earliest.
Congress member Nana Patole demanded that the girl be brought to Mumbai and given better medical care for free.
He said the girl has suffered serious facial injuries that could affect her future. The incident reflects poorly on the administration, he said.
Failure to apprehend the culprit has heightened anxiety among citizens and the victim’s family, he added.
