No repeat blast at WB cracker unit: Police

The police on Thursday dismissed reports of a blast at the same firecracker factory at <g data-gr-id="21">Pingla</g> in West Midnapore district of West Bengal where 12 people were killed and four others injured in an explosion last Thursday.

“There is no blast here today. It’s just a few small firecrackers which went off because of the extremely hot and dry weather in West Midnapore district. It happened at around 2pm,” said district Superintendent of Police Bharati Ghosh. 

These firecrackers were seized from the factory and kept for reference for <g data-gr-id="17">probe</g> into last week’s explosion, she said. There was no report of anybody being injured in the incident and ample police force is guarding the factory, Ghosh added. 

However, the news created a panic among residents. A team of <g data-gr-id="23">activists,</g> visited the area and claimed the blast was loud and the people there were apprehensive about their security. The last week’s explosion is being probed by the CID under orders from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The owner of the illegal factory, Ranjan Maiti, has been arrested.