Muktsar cracker factory blast: Four weeks on, cause of explosion still unknown

Hindustan Times

27-06-2025

Four weeks after five migrant workers were killed and 27 others sustained injuries due to a blast at an illegal cracker factory at a Muktsar village, the cause of the explosion is still unknown as forensic experts have not submitted the analysis report. Four weeks after five migrant workers were killed and 27 others sustained injuries due to a blast at an illegal cracker factory at a Muktsar village, the cause of the explosion is still unknown as forensic experts have not submitted the analysis report. (HT File)
Investigators said on Thursday that a resident of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, Nikunj Goyal, has been identified as the main supplier of the raw material used in the cracker production unit located at Fatuhiwala village.
They said that as Nikunj is evading arrest, it is not known how he procured a huge volume of explosives and other material used in producing firecrackers.
Muktsar superintendent of police (investigation), Manmeet Singh Dhillon, said that Nikunj supplied the material through a Karnal-based middleman, Prashant Goyal.
Dhillon, who is heading a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter, said Nikunj has been nominated in the crime and coordinated efforts are on to arrest him.
He said that they are awaiting a forensic report to ascertain the cause of the fatal accident.
'Prashant hails from Assandh in Karnal, and he provided the explosive materials used for cracker production in Muktsar. Factory owners Tarsem Singh and his son, Navraj Singh, had tied up with Prashant to get raw material to start a fireworks factory without obtaining authorisation from the district administration. Besides these three, labour contractor Raj Kumar has already been arrested,' said Dhillon.
Police officials said that the fatal mishap could have been caused by a short circuit in the electrical supply at the unit or human error.
'When the explosion occurred on May 30 at 2 am, rain and thunderstorms were reported in the area. There is also a chance that climatic conditions played a role in the explosion at the highly inflammable work station, which was built without safety arrangements,' said an official privy to the probe.
Official sources said that no major sign of fire was spotted at the mishap spot.
Victims belonged to Uttar Pradesh and they were hit when a blast ripped through an illegal firecracker manufacturing and packaging unit and brought the two-storeyed building down located in the fields.
The blast occurred in one of the rooms in the factory, leading to the roof collapse.
Most of them had joined work less than a fortnight before the mishap and they were hired by the labour contractor, Raj Kumar, a native of Hathras, UP.
As per the information, the accused, Tarsem, unsuccessfully tried setting up a poultry farm and then an RO (reverse osmosis) water treatment plant. After failing in both ventures, he started the firecracker factory.
According to the deputy commissioner, Abhijeet Kaplish, the accused had applied to obtain a licence for running a cracker manufacturing unit in March. The permission was not granted as the stringent safety clearance was not accorded to him, the DC added.