Death toll in MP cracker factory fire rises to 25

The death toll in Wednesday's fire at a cracker factory in Balaghat's Kheri village has gone up to 25 with two more persons succumbing to burn injuries on Thursday, police said.

"Two more persons have died (during treatment). With this, the death toll has climbed to 25. Among the deceased are 20 women and five men," Additional Director General of Police (Balaghat range) G Janardhan said.

He said of the five other injured persons, three are being treated outside the state and two at a local hospital.

Fire had broken out in the cracker factory, located around 10 kms from the district headquarters in the Kotwali police station limits, yesterday afternoon when the workers were present there, the ADG said.

As per preliminary investigation, intense heat caused a spark during cracker assembling that ignited the fire, he said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the next kin of the deceased. The state government would also bear the medical expenses of the injured. According to Balaghat district Collector Bharat Yadav, the cracker factory is owned by Waris Ahmed and was being run legally.