Banaskantha: At least 21 people lost their lives, and six others were injured in a suspected boiler explosion and subsequent collapse at a firecracker factory-cum-warehouse in Deesa town, Banaskantha district, on Tuesday. The explosion triggered a fire, causing the facility’s roof to collapse. The injured are receiving treatment at government hospitals in Deesa and Palanpur.

In the latest development, Banaskantha Collector Mihir Pravinkumar Patel said “21 bodies have been recovered so far. Most of the labourers and their families who lived and worked here in this factory belong to Dewas and Harda districts of Madhya Pradesh. We are in touch with the DMs of Dewas and Harda districts. Teams have left from there to reach here. Tomorrow, MP’s Tribal Affairs Minister will arrive here and take stock of the situation. Postmortem of all identified bodies are being done. A total of 6 injured people are under medical supervision in hospital. 3 of them are in Deesa Civil Hospital adn 3 are in Palanpur and one of them has been referred  to Ahmedabad. As per the confirmation received so far, the deceased include four women and three children.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office, in a tweet, announced financial aid for the victims, stating, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PMNRF will be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will receive ₹50,000.”

Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the explosion at a firecracker factory in Banaskantha, Gujarat. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected.

An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 1, 2025

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also announced compensation, offering ₹4 lakh to the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 to the injured.

ડીસામાં ફટાકડાના ગોડાઉનમાં વિસ્ફોટ થવાથી આગ લાગવાના લીધે અને સ્લેબ ધરાશાયી થવાના લીધે શ્રમિકોના મૃત્યુની ઘટના હૃદયદ્રાવક છે. દુ:ખની આ ઘડીમાં મારી આત્મીય સંવેદના મૃતકોના સ્વજનોની સાથે છે.

આ દુર્ઘટનામાં રાહત-બચાવ અને સારવારની કામગીરીને લઈને હું વહીવટીતંત્ર સાથે સતત સંપર્કમાં છું.…

— Bhupendra Patel (@Bhupendrapbjp) April 1, 2025

Following the incident, factory owner Dipak Mohanani has been arrested by the Idar police, while his father, Khubchand Mohanani, is absconding. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the case.

Reports indicate that the premises, owned by Deepak Traders in Deesa GIDC, lacked approvals from both the Banaskantha Police and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). SP Makwana stated that the facility operated as a firecracker storage unit and ran five retail outlets. The company had applied for a license renewal, but police had flagged serious fire safety concerns, citing a lack of safety measures. Despite pending approval from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), operations continued, leading to the tragedy.

It has also come to light that in the illegally operating firecracker factory, highly explosive banned aluminum powder, as well as sodium and sulfate powder, were being used, which led to the blast.

P. Seeniraj, Joint Chief Controller of Explosives for Vadodara Circle, confirmed that the firm did not have a valid license to store firecrackers.

Most of the deceased workers were from Madhya Pradesh. Condoling their deaths, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav expressed deep sorrow on social media and assured government support for the injured and bereaved families.

Regarding legal action, SP Makwana stated that five police teams had been formed to investigate and apprehend those responsible, with operations extending to Rajasthan, Ahmedabad, and Sabarkantha.

Rescue efforts continued for over seven hours after starting at 9:30 am, with firefighters from Deesa, Palanpur, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) at the scene. The Gujarat State Fire Prevention Services (GSFPS) stated that Dixit Patel, Regional Fire Officer (RFO) of Gandhinagar Region, would assess the situation and request additional firefighting resources if needed. RFO Patel was unavailable for comment. DeshGujarat