A day after an explosion inside a house in Dholahat, South 24 Parganas, police have filed a case against two brothers. The family had been allegedly involved in the fireworks business for more than a decade, reportedly holding a license issued by the local panchayat — though the police has now cast doubt on this.
A firecracker unit explosion and subsequent fire claimed the lives of eight family members in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas, on Monday night. The incident happened at a house alleged to have been illegally used for the manufacturing and storage of firecrackers. Police blamed the family, stating that the incident could have been avoided with more caution.
Questions have been raised about why firecrackers were stored at the residential house despite the family allegedly having two dedicated manufacturing units. Police are investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the explosion, with initial suspicions pointing to the stored fireworks as the source of the blast.
The eldest son of the family, Chandrakant Banik, had been arrested three years ago for manufacturing firecrackers at home. He along with his brother Tushar Banik were booked under sections 287-288 (imprisonment for six months), 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), the 125 (doing any act endangering human life) of BNS, and the West Bengal Fire Services Act.
ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, speaking about the incident, stated, “This kind of accident can occur anytime, but this is an irresponsible act. The price has been paid by eight members of the family, including children and the elderly.”
The house where the explosion occurred had no fire extinguishers. “Firecrackers are not supposed to be stored inside houses,” said Madhusudan Mondal, Kakdwip SDO. “What kind of license they had needs to be investigated. We cannot come to any conclusion so early. The incident took place in residential premises. A report will be submitted after further inquiry,” he said.
ADG Sarkar emphasised the need for increased caution, stating, “There is a lack of public awareness… We will hold a meeting with those involved in the firecracker manufacturing business to prioritize safe storage.”
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Forensic teams arrived at the scene to examine the debris and determine the exact cause of the explosion. “When we reached the spot, everything had turned into ashes, and the police had arrived before us,” said Subrata Bhattacharjee, OC of Joynagar Fire Station.
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