Three women die in explosion at illegal biscuit unit in Bengal

Three women from the same family, including a minor, were killed and several people injured in an explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Budge Budge, about 16 miles from the city, police said.

The blast took place on Sunday night around 8:30pm and the three dead are Jamuna Das, 65, her daughter Pampa Ghati and her granddaughter Jayashree, 10, police officers from South 24 Parganas, under whom the area is found. he said on Monday.

The incident was the second of its kind in West Bengal in a week.

At least 30 people, allegedly operating illegal firecracker manufacturing plants in the town, were detained and a large amount of explosives stored in different houses were seized during police raids overnight on Sunday and Monday, the police official said.

However, the number of injured was not specified.

The three were on the terrace of the one-story house where the event occurred.

“Three women, including a minor, were declared dead when they were transferred to a nearby ESI hospital. They had all suffered third-degree burns from a fire that was reported from the terrace of their home, where an illegal firecracker factory operated,” a senior police officer from the Diamond Harbor Police District told PTI.

“We have carried out raids in the area and seized at least 20,000 kg of explosive materials used to make firecrackers and arrested more than 30 people for their participation in the management of this type of illegal business. Raids are underway and police are investigating the cause of the fire,” the officer said.

On 16 May, an explosion occurred at an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Egra, Purba Medinipur district, killing 12 people.

The main defendant in the Egra blast died at a hospital in Cuttack in Odisha on May 19.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed: ITP)