Banaskantha, April 2 – The aftermath of the tragic explosion at an illegal firecracker warehouse near Deesa in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district has left families shattered, with relatives of the deceased transporting the bodies of 21 victims back to their native villages in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday morning. Among the deceased were five children, all residents of Sandalpur and Hadiya villages in the districts of Dewas and Harda.
As per agency report, one of the grieving relatives, Chandrasinh Nayak, who works at a plastic factory in Dholka, Ahmedabad, lost six family members in the incident, including his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter Radha (3), grandson Abhishek (10), and two more members from his son-in-law’s family. He shared that his daughter and her husband had recently begun working at the warehouse, while the mother-in-law had been employed there earlier as well.
The emotional toll was evident as Nayak described the loss, stating that 10 of the victims were from Sandalpur and 11 from Hadiya. Rajesh Nayak, a survivor of the blast, recalled that the explosion occurred around 9:45 AM on Tuesday, just as workers began arriving at the site.
Inspector V. G. Prajapati from Deesa Rural Police Station confirmed that ambulances carrying the bodies had started departing for the victims' hometowns. So far, ten ambulances, each carrying two coffins, have been dispatched.
Madhya Pradesh Minister Nagarsingh Chauhan, who visited Deesa along with Gujarat’s Industries Minister Balvantsinh Rajput, stated that both state governments are extending all necessary support to the affected families. He emphasized the shared responsibility and inter-state movement for employment, adding that the tragedy has deeply impacted the nation and will be treated with the seriousness it demands.
The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at a warehouse where firecrackers were being stored and allegedly manufactured illegally. The explosion triggered a massive fire and partial building collapse, killing 21 people, including five children, and injuring six others.
