Death toll rises in firework factory blast in Bengal, BJP calls for NIA investigation

A chemical blast at a factory that manufactured fireworks in Naihati of North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal led to the death of five persons. As many as five persons were left dead in a blast that occurred in a firecrackers blast in Naihati in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Friday. 

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar took to Twitter on Saturday stating that the accountability of all in administration must be fixed. 

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“Several deaths in blasts at factory at Masjidpara, Naihati has pained and shocked me. Allegations that crude bombs were being made in illegal factory warrants intense expert probe. Accountability of all in the administration needs to be fixed promptly,” stated the Governor.

The entire Masjidpara village of Naihati shook with back to back three blasts at around 12:30 noon on Friday. While the firecrackers factory was completely gutted and the roof flying in the air, there were reports that workers remained trapped inside. The five persons who were killed in the blast were workers in the factory and have been identified as Brinda Sanpui, Kalpana Haldar, Ram Besra, Mansur Piyada and Abhoy Mandi.While five fire tenders rushed to the spot but by then five workers were charred to death. Several others also suffered burn injuries and had to be rushed to Kalyani JNM Hospital, Barrackpore BN Bose hospital and Barasat district hospital where they are presently undergoing treatment. 

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Noor Hussain, the owner of factory was at large since the major incident but was later nabbed by West Bengal police on Saturday morning. 

Leaders from Bharatiya Janta Party in Bengal have drawn parallels between this incident and the 2014 Khagragarh blast.

“Crude bombs were being made in the garb of firecrackers factory. This is similar to the Khagragarh case where Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh was running a terror module. We want the NIA to investigate this,” stated Arjun Singh, BJP MP from Barrackpore NIA demanding a NIA inquiry. Apart from Singh, Union Minister Babul Supriyo asked for an inquiry by NIA by sharing a picture on Twitter.

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As the investigating agencies are probing whether the factory was a cover for making crude bombs or not, BJP has compared it with the 2014 Khagragarh case. On 2 October 2014 an explosion occurred in a house in the Khagragarh locality of Burdwan. Two suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists were killed and a third injured. The police haf seized 55 improvised explosive devices, RDX, wrist watch dials and SIM cards.

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