Kolkata: The death toll in the devastating explosion in Dholahat, South 24-Parganas, went up to eight, including four children, after a critically injured woman succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.
The blast, which occurred on Monday night, led to the arrest of factory owner Chandrakanta Banik, who had a prior record of dealing with banned firecrackers.
A case has been filed against him and co-owner Tushar Banik for culpable homicide and violations under the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Act. Forensic experts have collected samples to determine the cause of the explosion, while police confirmed that crackers were dangerously stored inside a residential house.
Additional Director General Supratim Sarkar stated that measures would be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The tragedy has triggered political tension, with the BJP demanding an NIA probe, while the ruling TMC asserted that state police are handling the investigation with a “zero-tolerance” approach. See P3