5 killed, 7 injured in an explosion at fire-cracker factory in Bengal; Mamata Banerjee orders CID probe

Kolkata/Egra: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered a CID probe into the huge explosion at a fire-cracker factory at Egra in East Midnapore district in which at least five persons were killed and seven critically injured on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a presser at the State Secretariat Nabanna soon after the incident informed that five people were killed and seven injured in the explosion.

She also announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 Lac to the next of kin of the deceased.

Banerjee said the factory was illegal and the culprits will be arrested even if they fled to neighbouring Odisha.

The IC of the local police station will be taken to task for not keeping the information about this illegal fire-cracker factory.

She asked local party MLAs Manas Bhunia and Tarun Kumar Maity to take stock of the situation.

She also clarified that her administration is not opposed to a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and further informed that the jurisdiction under which the incident took place falls under the BJP-controlled Panchayat.

The Chief Minister also wondered how come the owner of the factory, who was arrested during Diwali, got bail.

The injured were rushed to Egra Superspeciality Hospital, where their condition was stated to be critical.

The impact of the explosion was so severe that the factory collapsed completely.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari tweeted, "Huge explosion in Sahara Village in Egra; Purba Medinipur, at the local "Regional Tola-Mool Party" leader Krishnapada Bag's (alias Bhanu) house. "

"I am receiving news from the ground that the number of casualties is enormous. Immediately Central Forces should be deployed as dead bodies are being shifted illegally by Mamata Police," he alleged.

Adhikari urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah, State Governor C V Ananda Bose and NIA to initiate investigation as early as possible before evidence is "tampered".

"This is the IC of Egra; Mr. Mousam Chakraborty. He is the one to be blamed for today's horrific incident. The Mamata Police cadre was on the payroll of the perpetrator Krishnapada Bag. Mamata Police personnel Surajit Sinha & Biswajit Maity acted as emissary between the two. They collected Rs. 50,000/- every month from the perpetrator in exchange for the 'licence' & immunity for carrying out illegal activities such as stocking up explosives. Also look how the Regional Tola-Mool Party workers are shifting the dead bodies," the BJP MLA added.

West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar tweeted, "In Egra block, East Medinipur, a huge bomb blast took place in which several people have lost life & many injured."

He alleged that this happened in the factory of a TMC leader where bombs were being made and said this raised serious law and order situation before the Panchayat election in the state.

"Is TMC manufacturing bombs at large scale to scare the people before the Panchayat election?" Majumdar questioned.

"Failure CM @MamataOfficial must answer. Request @AmitShahji to take cognisance of this incident and investigate this matter," he stated.

"Public has zero trust on TMC govt," he averred. (UNI)