At least two workers lost their lives and 15 others sustained injuries after a fire erupted following an explosion at a firecracker factory in Dewas district on Thursday, officials said.
The incident took place at a firecracker manufacturing unit in the Tonk Kalan area of the district. Confirming the casualties, Dewas Collector Rituraj Singh said that two deaths had been reported so far in the blaze, while nine of the injured were referred to a hospital in Indore for advanced treatment.
He added that the fire had been brought under control and that authorities had secured explosives stored at another section of the factory premises to prevent further danger. According to Singh, production of small firecrackers at the unit had commenced only around 15 days ago. The licence for operating the factory had been issued in the name of Anil Malviya, he said.
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The collector further stated that a detailed investigation has been initiated to determine the exact cause of the explosion and assess whether safety norms were followed. Local residents described the blast as extremely powerful, claiming that body parts of victims were found scattered at locations far from the site of the explosion.
They also said construction work at the factory was still in progress, with multiple sheds being built within the premises at the time of the incident.
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