Gurdaspur | At least 23 people were killed and 27 injured in a blaze in a firecracker factory at Batala town in Gurdaspur district of Punjab on September 4.
No exact reason for the cause f the fire has been declared yet.
An explosion took place around 4 p.m. in the factory, situated in a three-storey building in the residential area. The impact of the blast was so powerful that a few nearby buildings and parked vehicles were damaged.
Gurdaspur: Fire breaks out at a fire-crackers factory in Batala; fire tenders present at the spot. More details awaited. #Punjab pic.twitter.com/bp5P5Xq88y
— ANI (@ANI) September 4, 2019
Police sources said the number of those perished in the incident might rise as some people were trapped under the debris of the building that collapsed after the explosion.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lac for the kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the seven severely injured, who were referred to the Amritsar Medical College. He also announced Rs. 25,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.
The District Magistrate told the media that rescue operations are on.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal demanded an immediate enforcement of the directions of the Supreme Court on all firecracker factories in the State.
He demanded strict action against officials guilty of not enforcing safety codes vis-a-vis firecracker factories. He also asked the State government to give adequate compensation to the victims’ families.
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