Banaskantha: A massive fire explosion at a firecracker factory in Banaskantha district's Deesa reportedly claimed the lives of 18 workers on Tuesday (April 1) morning. According to local authorities, the fire broke out in the industrial area, triggering a series of explosions that caused parts of the factory to collapse.
Several visuals of the horrific fire surfaced on social media. Have a look:
Speaking about the incident, Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel told ANI, "Today morning, we got information of a large explosion in the industrial area in Deesa. The Fire Department rushed to the site and controlled the fire. The explosion was so huge that the slab of the factory collapsed. We are conducting a search operation to rescue any person who might be buried under debris."
Have a look at his official statement here:
In an earlier statement, Patel had reported that 13 bodies were recovered from the site.
Inspector Vijay Chaudhary of Deesa Rural Police Station also confirmed that many workers were trapped under the rubble following the explosion. Several injured workers have been taken to nearby hospitals, while investigation into the cause of the blast is currently underway.
