Haryana: 3 killed, 7 injured in blast at ‘suspected’ cracker factory in Sonipat

Haryana police on Saturday said three persons were killed and seven others were injured in a blast at a suspected firecracker unit in a village in Sonipat district.
The police said, the incident occurred at a suspected firecracker factory in Ridhau village of Kharkhoda. Workers and their families were present at the time the explosion, the police said.
The injured have been rushed to PGIMS Hospital in Rohtak for treatment, the police added.
The police further said it appears that the house was being used as an “illegal” cracker factory as they have recovered material used in firecrackers from the spot.
“Information was regarding a blast in a house and we have found material used in firecrackers from the spot. Some people said a cylinder exploded. The FSL team has been called. 3 bodies have been recovered and 7 injured admitted to hospital,” Sonipat ACP Jeet Singh said.
“The house owner has been rounded up. Investigation is underway,” Singh added.
The police officer said the chemical used in preparing firecrackers in the “illegal unit” appeared to have caught fire, leading to the blast. However, the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
This is second major incident of fire at a factory reported in the country on September 28. Earlier today, a major fire broke out at a chemical godown of the electronics component factory of Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd in Tamil Nadu in the early hours today. However, there were no casualties reported in the incident.
The Tamil Nadu police said seven fire tenders from Hosur and nearby districts were pressed into service to douse the flames.
“The incident occurred at a chemical godown located on the campus at about 6 am. Seven fire tenders were pressed into service. There has been no casualty nor injury to anyone,” a senior fire and rescue service official at the Hosur Fire Station told PTI.
Tata Electronics, in a statement, said all the employees were safe.
“There has been an unfortunate incident of fire at our plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu. Our emergency protocols at the plant ensured that all our employees are safe. The cause of the fire is under investigation and we will take necessary actions to safeguard the interest of our employees and other stakeholders,” Tata Electronics statement read.