Kolkata: Removal of debris continued at the site of firecracker unit explosion in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district even on Tuesday, two days after the blast that killed nine people including a juvenile, while the police are searching for four others linked to the factory. Earthmoving machines are used to remove the piled-up debris of the collapsed building housing the illegal factory and other houses in its surrounding areas at Mochpole village in Duttapukur area.
Over 50 houses were damaged in the village in the explosion that took place on Sunday morning in a residential area. While one person, the business partner of the owner of the firecracker factory, was arrested on Monday, a team from Barasat Police District conducted search operations in neighbouring districts of Nadia and Murshidabad to look for others linked to the illegal firecracker unit, a senior police officer said.
"Other than the man arrested in this case, there are several more involved in the entire illegal business. We have zeroed in on four more people from the locality who are at the moment absconding," he told PTI. The police officer said they wanted to ascertain how the explosive materials were brought to the village dodging police surveillance.
Chemicals and bags of powder have been found inside a godown near the spot, and the police suspect that they are Ammonium Nitrate and Potassium Chlorate. The materials have been sent for chemical testing. "We are also looking for the suppliers (of those materials) and how such a huge number of chemicals and explosive materials were brought into the area. There are several grey areas, he said.
In the backdrop of the blast in Duttapukur, police personnel of neighbouring Barrackpore Police Commissionerate on Tuesday conducted search operations at closed firecracker factories situated there. Meanwhile, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo alleged that bomb manufacturing under the garb of making firecrackers has become a "cottage industry".
"We have received reports of children dying in a blast at an illegal firecrackers unit in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. This is not the first time that we have witnessed illegal firecracking units operational in Bengal in the past. Bomb manufacturing has become a cottage industry in Bengal," Kanoongo told PTI. Sunday's blast at Duttapukur is the third in the state since this May, after similar explosions at illegal firecracker factories in Purba Medinipur district's Egra and another in Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas district. Twelve deaths were reported in Egra while three in the Maheshtala blast. (PTI)
