Faulty fireworks claim life of 5-yr-old, one other in city

Kolkata: Two persons including a five-year-old child died after a flowerpot (tubri) exploded while igniting it in two separate incidents. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to know about the incidents and immediately took stock of the situation.

According to sources, on Sunday evening at around 7:30 pm a child identified as Adi Das (5) was burning fireworks at Shilpara, Vidyasagar Colony in Haridevpur.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, three persons were killed in a bomb explosion at Taltali area in Jalangi.

According to local residents, Adi was with his grandmother and other family members. When his grandmother placed a tubri on the road and ignited it, it failed to go off. Seeing the tubri not working, Adi went near it and tried to ignite it again. As soon as fire came in touch with the tubri, a blast took place and a portion of the shell penetrated Adi's neck. The child immediately fell on the road, bleeding profusely from his neck.

His father Kajal Das and other family members rushed him to Vidyasagar State general Hospital, where doctors removed the tubri shell fragment from his neck. However, Adi succumbed to his injuries at 8:15 pm.

Another child identified as Ishita Dutta Roy, who was standing nearby to witness the fireworks, was also injured as fragments from the tubri hit her during the explosion as well.

Though Kajal or any person from Adi's family did not lodge any complaint, police have started a suo moto case and arrested two persons who had manufactured the tubri and sold it. The duo, identified as Barun Ray and Bijoy Sarder, has been accused of manufacturing and selling faulty fireworks.

Meanwhile, in another incident, a man died after a tubri exploded and a fragment of its shell penetrated his neck, similar to the incident at Haridevpur. The deceased has been identified as Dip Kumar Koley (40) of Uttarpara in Kasba near Bijan Setu.

He was rushed to a private hospital in the city following his injury, where Koley was declared brought dead. Police are talking to his family members to know from where the tubri was bought.