Eleven people were killed and 60 others were injured after a major fire broke out in a firecrackers factory in Harda town of Madhya Pradesh on February 6. More than 50 ambulances were dispatched immediately to the incident site, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said. Moreover, about 400 police officials rushed to the spot.
The Chief Minister took to X and announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased and free treatment for the injured.
Videos of the tragic incident surfaced on social media showing the fire with intermittent explosions taking place at the site and people running to save themselves. Fire brigades were also rushed from Indore and Bhopal to tackle the blaze.
The cause of the fire is unknown as of now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the PM's National Relief Fund to the next of kin of each deceased. He also announced Rs 50,000 for the injured.
"Distressed by the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. Condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is assisting all those affected. Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured will be given Rs 50,000," the PMO said in a post on X.
State Minister Uday Pratap Singh, who on Yadav's instructions rushed to the site via helicopter, said that an operation was launched to rescue those still trapped under the debris.
"The guilty will not be spared. We are taking all the details about the factory from the district administration," Singh told ANI.
The entire area was engulfed in black smoke due to the major explosion and windowpanes of houses and shops located nearby were shattered.
Following the incident, the Chief Minister held a meeting and is taking stock of the situation continuously, as per Singh.
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