Madhya Pradesh Bids Farewell to 18 Victims of Gujarat Firecracker Warehouse Explosion
Dewas/Harda, April 3 – Eighteen of the twenty-one victims killed in the tragic explosion at an illegal firecracker warehouse in Gujarat’s Banaskantha district were cremated on Thursday along the banks of the Narmada River in the Nemawar area of Dewas district, Madhya Pradesh.
As per agency report, the deceased included ten residents from Dewas district and eight from Harda district. The explosion occurred on Tuesday near Deesa town, claiming the lives of 21 individuals, including five children, and injuring six others. The blast, which took place at an unauthorized warehouse storing firecrackers, was so intense that body parts were scattered as far as 200 to 300 meters from the site.
Among the victims was an Ahmedabad-based factory worker who lost his daughter, son-in-law, two young grandchildren, and two additional members of his son-in-law’s family. The return of the bodies to Madhya Pradesh took nearly 48 hours, and the mass cremation left many grieving relatives and officials deeply moved.
BJP legislator Ashish Govind Sharma, who represents the Khategaon constituency and was instrumental in coordinating the transport of the bodies from Gujarat, expressed his sorrow after attending the funeral. Describing the sight as deeply distressing, Sharma said he prayed to the Narmada River that such a tragedy never be repeated. He affirmed that the government stood firmly with the bereaved families and would ensure they face no further hardships.
Former minister and senior BJP leader Kamal Patel, also present at the cremation, called the incident heartbreaking. He emphasized that the state and central governments, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Prime Minister Narendra Modi respectively, were committed to supporting the victims’ families. This support includes assistance for the education of children left behind.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had announced financial aid of Rs 2 lakh for each deceased victim’s family and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
In connection with the incident, police arrested warehouse owner Deepak Mohanani and his father Khubchand Mohanani on Tuesday night. Banaskantha District Collector Mihir Patel confirmed that several fatalities occurred due to the collapse of the warehouse roof, under which some of the laborers’ families resided.
The Gujarat government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cause of the explosion. A forensic investigation at the site revealed a small container of aluminum powder, commonly used in firecracker manufacturing, further indicating that illegal production may have been taking place within the warehouse premises.
