DEWAS: Two workers remain missing after a firecracker factory explosion near Tonk Kalan that has already claimed five lives, officials and fellow labourers said.
The blast occurred at a firecracker manufacturing unit in Dewas district, leaving several workers injured and triggering confusion over the whereabouts of two employees who have not been traced since the incident.
Fellow workers identified the missing labourers as Rajju and Bablu. They said both were last seen in the billing room shortly before the explosion.
“We spoke while having food. After that, they were not seen,” said injured worker Shashi Kumar, who is undergoing treatment at Dewas District Hospital. He said repeated efforts to locate the two through hospitals and at the site have so far failed.
Workers expressed concern that the duo may be trapped under debris at the accident site and have sought permission to assist in search efforts. Most of the labourers at the unit are migrants from Bihar’s Araria district, many of whom had arrived only a few months ago for work.
Officials confirmed that five workers have died in the blast. Four of the deceased Sumit, Dhiraj, Amar and Guddu were from Bihar, while Sunny, a resident of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, was also killed. The bodies were handed over to their families on Thursday night.
At least 11 injured workers are undergoing treatment at Dewas District Hospital, while several critically injured have been shifted to Amaltas Hospital.
The district administration has constituted a special investigation team comprising senior officials from the electricity department, the State Pollution Control Board and the industrial safety wing to probe the cause of the explosion and examine compliance with safety regulations.
Preliminary inputs from the labour department indicate that the unit was operating while still under construction and may not have obtained all mandatory approvals under factory safety laws, officials said.
Officials have also flagged the possibility of a chemical reaction involving magnesium powder, potentially triggered by moisture or static electricity, as a possible cause. A detailed forensic investigation is underway.
