The death toll in the major blaze that broke out on Sunday at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Solapur rose to four on Monday with one more person succumbing to burn injuries, police said. Two persons, including the owner of the unit, have been booked on charges of culpable homicide. The exact cause of the fire is being investigated, officers added.
Superintendent of Police (Solapur Rural) Shirish Sardeshpande said on Monday morning, “The number of deaths in the case has risen to four, while others are receiving treatment for their burn injuries.” Officials said the unit was owned by one Yusuf Haji Maniyar, a local resident.
It was around 2.30 pm on Sunday that the fire broke out at the unit which was being run from makeshift sheds next to an agricultural field in Shirale village of Barshi taluka in Solapur. Soon after, the blaze spread to the stored firecrackers and firecracker powder, triggering multiple blasts, the police said. Seven employees who were inside the unit suffered burns. Three of them succumbed immediately, while four others were taken to a hospital on Sunday.
Additional Superintendent of Police Himmat Jadhav said, “Two persons, including the owner, have been booked under Indian Penal Code section 304 for culpable homicide and under provisions of the Explosives Act. Meanwhile, teams of police and emergency responders continued to search the site on Monday morning for possible casualties. There is no confirmation on the number of workers present at the unit at the time.”
Following the fire and subsequent blasts, thick smoke was seen billowing from the area from afar. Officials said the sparks from fire caused the blaze to spread to adjacent fields as well. The continuous bursting of crackers in the area also made it difficult for the responders who arrived at the scene soon after.
