At least eight people were killed and 80 were injured in a massive explosion at an Indian fireworks business on Tuesday, sending balls of flame into the sky, according to officials.
Indian television footage showed a tower of flame following the explosion at the firecracker plant, with scores of ambulances dispatched and army helicopters called in to remove the injured.
According to senior district police official Rajeshwari Mahobia, there have been eight deaths and approximately 80 injuries at the factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. The death toll is expected to rise further.
Images from the manufacturing site depicted a desolation of scorched, burning rubble.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated the explosion was “very sad news” and that medics from burn units in surrounding large hospitals had been summoned to make “necessary preparations”.
“Ambulances are being rushed to Harda from surrounding areas, and the army has been contacted to arrange for helicopters,” Yadav wrote in a post on X, which was previously Twitter.
At least 20 ambulances were on the scene, with 50 more being dispatched to assist the injured, he added.
Manish Sharma, a surgeon at the Harda district hospital, claimed the facility had been inundated with casualties.
“We have eight deaths at our hospital, a total of 90 people were admitted here so far and we have referred 15 of them to a bigger hospital,” Sharma was quoted as saying by AFP.
“As more people are being rescued from the site, they are being brought here.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed “distress” over the loss of lives, stating that the government would compensate the families of those slain with $2,400 each and those injured with $600.
‘Stampede’
Kailash Chand Parte, a top district official in charge of organizing rescue attempts from the facility, said fire engines were battling the raging fire.
“The fire is still not under control and we have around 15 fire engines and many rescue workers at the site” , Parte told reporters.
He claimed the facility employed between 200 and 300 people, although it was unclear how many were present at the time of the explosion.
“At least 10 buildings around the complex where the blast happened have been damaged because of the intensity of the explosion” , the official said.
According to one police officer, those killed included people who were trampled while fleeing the raging flames.
Local police officer Abdul Raees Khan told the newspaper that some people killed during the “stampede after the blast,” and that rescue personnel had yet to reach the actual blast site since the fire was still burning.
Explosions are common at India’s firecracker workshops.
Fireworks are extremely popular in India, especially during the Hindu holiday of Diwali and at weddings.
However, many manufacturers fail to meet basic safety standards and operate without authorization.
In 2019, at least 18 persons were murdered in a firework factory explosion in Batala, Punjab, while another 10 were killed in Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh.