In a devastating accident 13 workers were charred to death and seven were severely injured in Kheri village in Balaghat district in Madya Pradesh. At around 3 P.M., a fire started at a cracker factory located 10 km from the district headquarters in the Kotwali police station limits.
G. Janardhan, Additional Director General of Police spoke to the media and reported about the fire and the victims.
Bharat Yadav, Balaghat district collector informed initially 10 of the workers were injured but 3 died on their way to Nagpur, increasing the death toll to 23.
He said, “Of the seven injured, five have been rushed to Nagpur for treatment, while two are being treated at a hospital in the district.”
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan passed his condolences to the deceased’s families. He has also announced Rs. 2 lakh will be given as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased. The State Government will also bear all the medical expenditure of the workers injured in the accident.
Bharat Yadav also informed that the Cracker Factory was owned and run legally by Waris Ahmed.
All the victims were workers at the factory and the fire started while production was being done.
News has also revealed the fire was completely doused and the search operation was also complete.
