CHANDIGARH: Five people were killed and 34 injured after a blast led to the collapse of a double-storey firecracker factory at Fatuhiwala village in Punjab’s Muktsar district in the early hours of Thursday.Sources said the explosion occurred around 1 a.m. when approximately 40 workers, mostly migrant labourers, were inside the factory engaged in production and packaging of firecrackers. The force of the explosion was so intense that it brought down the entire building, trapping many under the debris. Most of the workers were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The identities of the deceased have not yet been confirmed.A worker said that at the time of the explosion, many of them were sleeping after completing their night shift. “All of a sudden we heard a loud explosion and many of us got trapped under the debris,” he said.Deputy Superintendent of Police of Lambi, Jaspal Singh, said that five bodies had been retrieved from the rubble and 34 injured persons had been sent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bathinda. He confirmed that the factory was licensed and situated in the fields, away from the residential area. “The case will be thoroughly investigated,” he said.He added, “Three bodies were recovered during the night, and two more in the early morning hours. Once the injured are stable, we will record their statements to ascertain the exact cause of the blast. Strict action will be taken as per the law. The factories department has also been informed and their team will soon visit the site to examine any violations under the Factories Act.”
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