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Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
5 buried alive, 34 hurt as 2-storey firecracker factory collapses in blast in Muktsar: Police
Five workers were buried alive and 34 others injured as a two-storey firecracker factory building collapsed in a powerful blast at Singhewala village in Punjab's Muktsar district on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, police said, adding the factory owner has been arrested. Muktsar Deputy Commissioner (DC) Abhijeet Kaplish said seriously injured persons were admitted to AIIMS, Bathinda, while others were being treated at the Civil Hospital under the Punjab government's Farishtey scheme. 'The firecracker unit was operating without permission required under the Explosives Rules, 2008. As of now, our top priority is treatment and taking care of the injured persons. A detailed inquiry is underway, and strictest action will be taken against those found guilty,' the DC said. The owner had reportedly submitted a request before the DC's office for necessary approval, but the file was yet to be processed. Lambi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jaspal Singh said the explosion took place between 12 midnight and 1 am. 'We responded swiftly and recovered five bodies from the debris. The rescue operation was over by the afternoon,' the DSP told The Indian Express. 'At least 34 people were injured and admitted to various hospitals, including the Civil Hospital in Badal and AIIMS, Bathinda. As per reports, all are stable,' the DSP said. According to reports, 28 patients were still undergoing treatment at various hospitals, while six were sent home after first aid. Muktsar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akhil Chaudhary said, 'The preliminary investigation finds manufacturing and packaging of firecrackers were being carried out on the same premises. Moreover, several workers were living on the factory premises. A few workers were doing packaging work while others were sleeping when the blast took place, and the building collapsed.' 'It seems the blast was caused by material used in the manufacturing of firecrackers, though the exact cause can be ascertained after investigations and forensic examinations. Our forensic team is investigating the spot to determine what triggered the blast,' the SSP said. After the preliminary investigation, Muktsar police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against factory owner Tarsem Singh and his son Navraj Singh. The factory owner was arrested, police said. Police said the accused were booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt using dangerous means) and 3(5) (group liability in crimes committed with shared intent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), section 98 of the Explosives Act, 1884, which empowers the central government to prohibit dangerous explosive activities, and section 92 of the Factories Act, 1948, which deals with penalties for violation of safety and regulatory norms. The father-son duo was running the factory, while papers submitted at the DC office, seeking a licence, were in the name of Navraj, police sources said. Police said that they were trying to establish the identity of the deceased persons. Coworkers who can help identify the deceased are hospitalised, so it may take some time, they said. The contractor, who would bring workers from Uttar Pradesh, was yet to arrive, which also delayed the identification process, police said. Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet Minister and Lambi MLA Gurmeet Singh Khuddian visited the injured persons at AIIMS, Bathinda. He inquired about their condition and assured them the Punjab government would bear the entire cost of their treatment. Khuddian also visited the blast site in Singhewala village. The minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased persons on behalf of the Punjab government, a government statement said. The minister said, 'The government stands with the affected families and will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for them. Those liable will not be spared under any circumstances. Strictest legal action will be taken against them.' Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also met injured workers at AIIMS, termed the incident 'a failure of governance.' Alleging that the illegal factory was running under political patronage, Sukhbir said, 'There were no fire safety measures at the factory where even minor children were employed. I met a few of them. Shockingly, the contractor disappeared after the blast, and the factory owner was of no help to the trapped workers.' Demanding strict action against the accused, Badal said, 'If the government fails to act firmly, the SAD will launch an agitation at the site.' Badal said such tragedies must not repeat in the future. 'We demand immediate compensation for the deceased persons' families and a high-level inquiry into how such a dangerous operation continued unchecked,' the SAD chief said. He urged the state government to ensure accountability and stricter enforcement of industrial safety norms across Punjab
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Muktsar blast: Firecracker factory was operating without permission, says DC; owner arrested
The firecracker factory in Punjab's Muktsar, where a blast killed five workers and injured 34 others in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, was allegedly operating without permission from the district authorities. Following the incident, the owner of the factory has been arrested, the police said. The two-storey building, which housed the factory in Singhewala village, also collapsed in the blast. 'No permission was granted to the factory under the required Explosives Rules, 2008,' said Abhijeet Kaplish, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Muktsar. The owner had reportedly submitted a request before the deputy commissioner's office for necessary approval, but the file was yet to be processed. 'The district administration's top priority remains the care and treatment of the injured. A detailed inquiry is underway, and the strictest action will be taken against those found responsible,' the DC said. He added that several of the seriously injured have been shifted to AIIMS Bathinda, while others are being treated at the Civil Hospital in Badal village under the Punjab Government's Farishtey scheme. Following preliminary investigation, the Muktsar police arrested the owner Tarsem Singh and lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against him and his son Navraj Singh. The two allegedly ran the factory together. Sources revealed that all the paperwork seeking licence for the unit was in the name of Navraj. They have been booked under stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt using dangerous means), and 3(5) (group liability in crimes committed with shared intent). Additionally, the FIR includes charges under section 98 of the Explosives Act, 1884, which empowers the central government to prohibit dangerous explosive activities, and section 92 of the Factories Act, 1948, which deals with penalties for violation of safety and regulatory norms. The police said they are yet to identify the deceased as several of their coworkers, who could have helped in identifying them, have also been hospitalised. The contractor who brought the workers from Uttar Pradesh is yet to arrive, which has also delayed the identification process. Akhil Chaudhary, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Muktsar, said, 'Our forensic team is investigating to determine the reason behind this incident.' Punjab Cabinet Minister and Lambi MLA Gurmeet Singh Khuddian visited the victims who are under treatment at AIIMS, Bathinda. He inquired about their condition and assured them that the entire cost of their treatment will be borne by the Punjab Government. He stated the government stands with the affected families and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice to them. 'Those responsible will not be spared under any circumstances, and the strictest legal action will be taken against them,' he asserted. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who met the injured workers at AIIMS, termed the incident 'a failure of governance.' He alleged that the illegal factory was running under political patronage. 'There were no fire safety measures, and even minor children were employed at the site. I met a few of them. Shockingly, the contractor disappeared after the blast, and the factory owner was of no help to the trapped workers,' he said. Demanding strict action against the accused, Badal added, 'If the government does not act firmly, SAD will launch an agitation at the site. Such tragedies must not be allowed to repeat. We demand immediate compensation for the affected families and a high-level inquiry into how such a dangerous operation continued unchecked.' He urged the state government to ensure accountability and stricter enforcement of industrial safety norms across Punjab.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Punjab taps private sector to bolster de-addiction efforts amid rising demand
Chandigarh: Facing an anticipated surge in demand for rehabilitation as its war on drugs intensifies, the Punjab govt — hampered by limited public health infrastructure — is turning to private doctors and de-addiction centres in a strategic move to expand treatment access across the state. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Punjab, grappling with a crippling drug crisis, particularly among its youth, has close to 10 lakh individuals undergoing treatment at 529 govt-run outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres. An additional 180 private centres are also operational. With an expected rise in patients due to the state's aggressive crackdown on drug abuse, the govt is ramping up infrastructure and forging partnerships with private players to handle the load. To increase bed capacity, the state will collaborate with private nursing institutions, nursing colleges, and NGOs. These partners will work with district drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centres (DDRCs), converting existing beds into de-addiction beds under the DDRC umbrella. These centres will function according to govt guidelines and under the oversight of DDRCs to ensure basic facilities, nutritious meals, and quality medical care. The health department will sign agreements with willing entities. These centres will be reimbursed for infrastructure upgrades — up to Rs 20,000 per bed — as a one-time grant. Additionally, they can claim up to Rs 1,500 per bed per day based on actual occupancy. To fast-track readiness, the govt has also decided to expedite licensing for new facilities and for the expansion of existing ones. Minimum facility requirements include air-conditioned wards, functional toilets and bathrooms, clean drinking water, counselling rooms, multipurpose rooms, equipment for monitoring vitals, and security systems like CCTV and Wi-Fi. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, these do not replace the minimum licensing standards mandated for de-addiction centres. Private psychiatrists to the forefront One of the biggest challenges in delivering quality care is the shortage of psychiatrists in the govt system. At present, only about 50 are currently serving across Punjab. To bridge this gap, deputy commissioners have been authorised to engage private psychiatrists for part-time services. Muktsar deputy commissioner Abhijeet Kaplish recently convened a meeting with private de-addiction centre managers and doctors, informing them of the state's plan. "Doctors who join us will be assigned centres where they will serve for a few hours after their regular duty hours. They will also be on call for emergencies," Kaplish said. He made it clear that participation is voluntary and based on mutual agreement. Dr Sandeep Bhola, state in-charge of the de-addiction programme, affirmed that participating psychiatrists will be adequately compensated. He urged more professionals to step forward in support of the state's fight against addiction. Additionally, MBBS doctors will be trained to handle detoxification medications, broadening the pool of healthcare providers involved. While many private psychiatrists have shown openness to the initiative, they are seeking clear terms, formal agreements, defined remuneration, and workplace security. "Only those willing should be brought on board, and the terms must be transparent," said a senior private doctor, requesting anonymity. Rebranding de-addiction centres The govt has rebranded all govt de-addiction and rehabilitation centres. The facilities previously known as de-addiction/rehabilitation centres will now be called Nasha Mukti Kendras, and OOAT Clinics will be known as Nasha Mukti Davai Kendras, aligning with the state's broader messaging in its anti-drug campaign. MSID:: 120795105 413 |
