Indore Factory Fire: One Out Of 3 Workers Dies After Explosion

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): One of the three labourers injured in an explosion at a firecracker factory succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on Wednesday. All three injured had suffered more than 60% burn injuries and Rohit succumbed to his injuries as he had suffered more than 80% burns. The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a shed-like structure at the factory in Ambachandan village in Mhow.

The explosion took place when two workers inside the factory asked the third worker, who was outside, for an iron weight as they had to weigh something. The worker threw the iron weight which hit the weighing machine leading to a spark that triggered the explosion. 

Rohit Sarwal (20), a resident of Datoda, who was seriously injured in the blast, was put on life support. He was in a state of shock after the incident and despite all efforts could not be saved, Dr Amit Bhatt, deputy director (health services) of Choithram Hospital, told the media.

The condition of two other workers, Arjun Rathore (27) and Umesh Chauhan (29), who suffered serious burns in the explosion, is stable at present, he said. The deceased’s elder brother Sandeep said that Rohit had joined the factory about 10 days prior to the incident. Previously, he had worked alongside their father, who is a painter. He was unmarried and was the youngest child of his parents who have two other sons.

Anil, a relative of Rohit, said that Rohit was engaged and his marriage was scheduled.  Mhow police registered a case against the firecracker factory owner Mohammed Shakir Khan under relevant sections of the Explosives Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 308 (culpable homicide). The factory, named 'Ali Fireworks,' was run by Khan and he has been on the run since the explosion and the police have formed teams to search for him. The police conducted the post-mortem of the deceased.   

Deputy Inspector General Nimish Agrawal, accompanied by a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), visited the factory site to conduct a thorough examination and assess the situation firsthand.The incident has served as a chilling reminder of the inherent risks associated with the handling of explosive materials and the paramount importance of adhering to safety protocols and regulations within such hazardous industries.