Ahmedabad: Twenty workers, who survived the firecracker factory blast at Harda in Madhya Pradesh in Feb 2024, had moved to Gujarat for work. All of them were killed in the blast at the firecracker godown in Deesa, Banaskantha, on Tuesday. Police sources and family members confirmed the deaths.
The workers arrived at the Deesa godown on Sunday. Rajesh Nayak (24), one of the workers, said he worked in the Harda factory where a blast had killed 11 people. He and the others then moved to Gujarat for employment.
Rajesh lost his younger brother, Vishnu Nayak, and five relatives, including two women. He questioned the compensation announced by the govt. “Four lakh rupees is not enough. We need at least Rs 50 lakh for the loss of our families,” he said.
A 15-year-old boy from Harda survived. His three-year-old cousin lost both parents in the blast. “I took my cousin out to drink water and get a biscuit packet. My aunt and uncle died. I am the only one left to take care of her,” he said. He added that they all worked under a contractor called Rajesh Agrawal. Agrawal was arrested in Madhya Pradesh after the Harda factory explosion. His associates later moved workers to Deesa.
Bhagwan Nayak, another worker from Harda, lost five family members in the Deesa blast. He and other victims’ families refused to cremate the bodies until the govt accepts their demands for a full investigation and compensation of at least Rs 25 lakh.
“We will not accept the bodies until the govt agrees to our demands. We need fair compensation and a proper probe into what happened,” Bhagwan said.
He confirmed that at least 20 of those who died in Deesa had worked at the Harda factory. The Deesa explosion raises questions about worker safety in the firecracker industry and the conditions under which these workers were employed.