Kolkata: Following the death of seven persons on Monday night in the Dholahat explosion, another person who was critical and admitted to the SSKM Hospital succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.
Police informed that a case has been registered against the two joint owners of cracker factory, identified as Chandrakanta Banik and Tushar Banik, on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and other allegations along with necessary sections under West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Act.
The forensic experts visited the spot and collected samples to ascertain the cause of the explosion. “Sutapa Jana had almost 75 per cent burn injuries and she died at the SSKM Hospital in Kolkata this morning,” a police officer said.
The other deceased were identified as Prabhabati Banik (80), Arabinda Banik (65), Swantana Banik (28), Arnab Banik (9), Anushka Banik (6) and two six-month-old babies, it was learnt. On Tuesday, Additional Director General (ADG), South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar informed that the cracker factory was about 100 meters away from the house of Banik who stored the crackers inside his house which somehow came in contact with fire and exploded.
Sarkar said a detailed probe will be conducted to find out whether the duo had any licence. The ADG alleged that the explosion is the outcome of lack of awareness and irresponsible activity. He also informed that Chandrakanta was arrested earlier with banned firecrackers during 2022.
He was on bail in the said case. Sarkar also informed that the said business was running for the past 10 years.
“What kind of licence they had is subject to the investigation. Every angle will be checked. But storing crackers inside a house within a residential area is not only dangerous but also an irresponsible and negligent act,” said Sarkar who added that from now onwards police will talk to the factory owners and firecracker traders to ensure that factories are built away from populated areas.
On Monday, around 9 pm, a massive explosion took place in a house at Dholahat in South 24-Parganas. Seven persons, including four children, died on the spot while a woman was admitted to SSKM where she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.
Condoling the deaths, Governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday said necessary steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked a political clash, with the BJP demanding an NIA investigation, while the TMC dismissed the claims, stating that the state police are already investigating and emphasising that the Bengal government maintains “zero tolerance to such incidents.”