21 killed in Punjab firecracker unit blast

Batala: Twenty-one people were killed while 27 injured in a blast at a firecracker factory in Batala of Gurdaspur district on Wednesday, an official said. Several people were feared trapped under the debris, police said, adding that the rescue operation was underway.

The blast took place around 4 pm at the factory located in a residential area, Inspector General (Border Range) SPS Parmar said.

Batala senior Medical Officer Sanjiv Bhalla said, "A total of 21 people have died in the blast."

Earlier, Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner Vipul Ujjwal said 19 people had died in the blast and 27 sustained injuries.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner (Batala) had been asked to conduct the inquiry into the tragic incident, an official release said.

Amarinder Singh also directed Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa to immediately rush to the spot and oversee the relief and rescue operations.

An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the each of the seven severely injured, who were referred to the Amritsar medical college, was announced.

The government also announced Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.

Punjab CM directed both the civil and police administration to extend all possible help to the victims' families in this hour of grief.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for the rescue operation.