West Bengal: Death toll rises to 8 in Duttapukur firecracker factory blast

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With one more body being recovered, the death toll in the blast at the illegal firecracker manufacturing factory in West Bengal's Duttapukur has gone up to eight, officials said on Monday.

The mishap took place on Sunday in Duttarpukur in North 24 Parganas district, ANI reported.

Eight bodies have been recovered from the site, Prashant Ghosh, an official from Barasat Fire Station said.

Earlier Barasat District Hospital Subrata Mondal said that "Eight patients are currently admitted in the hospital...One person died here, and the six were brought dead by the police. So a total of seven have died."

Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose visited the explosion site in Duttapukur in North 24 Parganas district.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday said the incident reflected the failure of the state administration.

"The amount of explosive materials (found at the scene of the blast) is proof that the Bengal government has allowed traders to run such illegal units wherever they want, even at the cost of lives. Traders, who deal in explosives, are being given complete freedom to run such units. This has resulted in such incidents," the Congress leader said.

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"The incident shows the abject failure of the state machinery and the law enforcement authorities. We only come to know of such factories when blasts happen and innocent lives are lost. After a cursory response from the administration and the police, everything goes quiet, and the illegal units return to business. It is the common man, who is made to pay the ultimate price for such illegal and nefarious activities," he added.

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that the entire state of West Bengal was sitting on a powder keg.

"This is not an isolated incident. The entire state is sitting on a powder keg. The chief minister had promised to close these illegal cracker-manufacturing factories, but she is busy protecting the thieves in her government and hosting the Imams instead. She is holding meetings with Muslim preachers," he said. (ANI)