Jaipur: Seven people were killed and two others sustained critical injuries after a fire broke out at an illegally run firecracker manufacturing unit in Bhiwadi town of Rajasthan’s Khairthal-Tijara district on Monday, officials said.
The blaze occurred in the Khushkhera-Karoli industrial area. Authorities initially believed the fire had started in a chemical unit, but later found that the premises was leased as a garment factory and was being used to manufacture firecrackers without permission.
“Seven persons have died in the incident. It was a garment factory, but firecrackers were being manufactured inside it illegally,” Additional District Magistrate Sumitra Pareek said. She added that two people trapped inside were rescued and shifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, where they remain in critical condition.
According to preliminary findings, more than 20 people were present at the factory when the fire broke out. While several workers managed to escape, nine were trapped inside. Seven were burnt alive. The fire was brought under control after over one-and-a-half hours. Some remains were reduced to skeletons, and body parts were collected in polythene bags. A few of the deceased were from Bihar.
CCTV footage showed a loud explosion before the fire. Gunpowder, firecrackers and packing material were recovered from the site. A forensic team collected bone samples and burnt materials.
Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma ordered immediate relief measures and directed Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma to visit the site. Sharma later instructed officials to inspect all industrial units in the area and take action against violations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President C P Radhakrishnan expressed condolences, while state leaders across parties called for a thorough investigation.