Five killed in firecracker factory blast in Punjab’s Muktsar, several injured

Chandigarh: At least five workers were killed and several others injured in a powerful explosion at a firecracker factory in Singhewala village of Punjab’s Muktsar district late on Thursday night. The incident occurred around 1.30 a.m., causing a major portion of the two-storey factory building to collapse.

So far, 29 workers have been rescued from the debris. Rescue and relief operations are currently underway. The factory had a total of 40 workers, most of whom are migrant labourers from Uttar Pradesh.

Among the deceased, only one worker has been identified so far — Rahul, 25, a resident of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

The injured have been referred to AIIMS Bathinda and Badal Civil Hospital. Those identified include Ganesh (25), Mohit (23), Amit (26), Amit (21), Ankit (20), Akshay (22), Bahadur (25), Manoj (23), Pintu (21), Sonu (21), Rohit (20), Vikas (21), Sanjay (23), Bhola (25), and Mukesh (32).

According to a worker named Arun, “We were sleeping after the night shift when suddenly there was an explosion and many people were buried under the debris. The blast was so strong that a large part of the factory building collapsed.”

Local residents said that the factory had arrangements for workers to stay inside the premises. Several rooms were located on the first floor. Officials confirmed that gunpowder and chemicals were found at the site, raising concerns over safety measures at the unit.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the explosion.