Deesa: At least 21 people lost their lives, and six others sustained injuries after a suspected boiler explosion led to a fire and roof collapse at a firecracker factory-cum-warehouse in Deesa, Banaskantha district, on Tuesday. The injured are receiving treatment at government hospitals in Deesa and Palanpur.

Update: 

Banaskantha Collector Mihir Pravinkumar Patel confirmed that 21 bodies had been recovered. Most of the workers and their families were from Dewas and Harda districts in Madhya Pradesh, and local authorities are coordinating with officials from these regions. A team from Madhya Pradesh has been dispatched, and the state’s Tribal Affairs Minister is set to visit the site. Of the six injured, three are admitted to Deesa Civil Hospital, three to Palanpur, and one has been referred to Ahmedabad. Among the deceased are four women and three children.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced financial aid of ₹2 lakh for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured through the PMNRF. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also declared ₹4 lakh compensation for the deceased’s families and ₹50,000 for the injured.

Meanwhile, factory owner Dipak Mohanani and his father, Khubchand Mohanani, have both been arrested. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the incident.

Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana confirmed that the site functioned as a firecracker storage unit and operated five retail outlets. Although the company had applied for a license renewal, the police raised serious concerns regarding fire safety due to the absence of proper safety measures. Despite the pending approval from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), the facility continued operations, resulting in the tragic incident.

Further investigation revealed that the firecracker factory, which was operating illegally, was using highly explosive and banned substances like aluminum powder, sodium, and sulfate powder, which contributed to the explosion.

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Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel told the media, “This morning, we received information about a large explosion in the industrial area of Deesa. The Fire Department rushed to the site and controlled the fire. Five workers died at the scene. Four injured workers were referred to different hospitals. The explosion was so massive that the RCC slab of the factory collapsed. We are conducting a search operation to rescue anyone who might be buried under the debris.”

#WATCH | Gujarat | On fire and explosion at a factory in Deesa, Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel says, ” Till now, 13 bodies have been retrieved from debris at the factory. The whole RCC slab had collapsed. The relief teams are removing the debris. Four people who were injured… https://t.co/UgTsV0CBZm pic.twitter.com/Bxkll1igwS

— ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2025

Around 20 people were inside the factory godown at the time of the blast. Firefighters are working to extinguish the flames, and efforts to clear the debris are underway. Locals near the factory have reported that many young boys work there, and some of them have also died in the fire. The death toll is likely to rise, as the godown stored fireworks. The local police and administration are investigating the cause of the fire. DeshGujarat