Eight Killed in Explosion at ‘Illegal’ Firecracker Factory in West Bengal

A devastating explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Patharpratima, South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, claimed eight lives, including four children, late Monday night. All the deceased belonged to one family, sending shockwaves across the village. The blast, which occurred around 8:30 PM on Monday night at a residential unit owned by the Banik family, is suspected to have triggered with a cylinder blast, also injured one person who later succumbed to injuries in hospital. The incident has reignited concerns over the proliferation of unregulated firecracker units in the state.

The explosion took place in the Dholahat area, where firecrackers were reportedly being manufactured and stored illegally. The force of the blast triggered a fire that rapidly engulfed the house, killing seven people on the spot—four children, two women, and one man. 

The house was reduced to rubble, with the intensity of the blaze fuelled by stacked explosives. “There was a huge sound and the whole village shook, we were shaken by the tremors. We always knew that the Banik brothers were into this business but presumed they had licenses. Now I am just thankful to be alive. We could have been dead. There will be a local fair in the second week of April and there is always demand for crackers then, may be they were stocking up more for the impending festival”, said Surjit Mondal, a neighbour and eye witness. 

ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar, addressing the tragedy, stated, “It was an accidental fire that broke out at 8:30 PM yesterday due to an explosion, causing the death of seven people, including four children. One injured woman later died in hospital. Our primary investigation reveals firecrackers were stored at the location. We are probing whether they had proper permits and have filed cases under relevant sections.” Sarkar emphasised a lack of public awareness and announced plans for police to meet with firecracker organisations to prevent such incidents in residential areas. “Police can’t enter every house to check what’s happening inside, people should be more alert and inform us if they suspect something”, he added.

A pal of gloom had descended on the entire village with almost the entire Banik family being wiped out-the eldest being the 80 year old Prabhavati Banik and the youngest being just a six month old new born. The Banik family, the locals say was not interested in the business considering the risks but the two brothers were invested. Both the brothers- Chandranath Banik and Tushar Banik had been on the run initially but later Chandranath was detained by police for examination, confirmed ADG Sarkar.

The Patharpratima blast follows a pattern of similar tragedies in West Bengal, including a February explosion in Nadia that killed four. Local MLA Samir Kumar Jana noted the family owned a licensed unit nearby, raising questions about oversight. Forensic teams have collected evidences to determine the exact cause, while two brothers linked to the unit have been booked. Opposition leaders, including BJP’s Sukanta Majumdar, have demanded an NIA probe, alleging political protection for such illegal operations.