Harda Factory Blast: Death Toll Rises To 11, PM Modi And MP CM Yadav Announce Ex-Gratia. Top Points
An incident unfolded in Harda town, Madhya Pradesh, as a fire erupted in a firecracker factory, resulting in at least eleven fatalities and 63 other people sustaining injuries.
At least eleven people were killed and dozens injured after an explosion leading to a blaze at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh's Harda on Tuesday, news agency PTI reported citing officials. The explosion occurred in the Bairagarh locality on Magardha road, situated on the outskirts of Harda town, approximately 150 km from Bhopal, the state capital.
Videos circulated on social media depicted the intensity of the blaze, with intermittent explosions and people fleeing the site.
Top Points:
1. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal to meet those injured in the firecracker factory fire incident.
#WATCH | Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav reaches Hamidia Hospital of Bhopal to meet the injured in the Harda fire incident admitted here pic.twitter.com/3wRaah7UXS
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2024
2. Providing an update on the situation, IG Narmadapuram Irshad Wali stated that an FIR has been registered in connection with the incident. He reported that debris removal is underway, with additional machines deployed for a swift clearance. The fire has been brought under control, and precautionary measures, such as evacuating nearby houses and cordoning off the affected area, have been implemented.
#WATCH | On firecracker factory fire incident, IG Narmadapuram Irshad Wali says " FIR registered in the incident. There have been 10 casualties, 150 injured in the incident...Debris is being removed, to be cleared by deployment of additional machines. The fire is totally under… pic.twitter.com/ZDYKdoqku0
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2024
3. Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and announced an ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased. CM Yadav declared Rs 4 lakh assistance for each deceased's kin, with the state government covering the entire cost of treatment for the injured.
Distressed by the loss of lives due to the mishap at a cracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh. Condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones. May those injured recover at the earliest. The local administration is assisting all those affected.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 6, 2024
Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF…
हरदा स्थित पटाखा फैक्ट्री में हुई दुर्घटना हृदय विदारक है।
— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) February 6, 2024
मुझे 6 लोगों की मृत्यु और 50 से ज्यादा लोगों के घायल होने की सूचना प्राप्त हुई है।
50 से ज्यादा एंबुलेंस तत्काल घटना स्थल के लिए रवाना कर दी गई हैं।
मैंने हेलीकॉप्टर के माध्यम से कैबिनेट मंत्री श्री @udaypratapmp जी… pic.twitter.com/CgIyKhWgjr
4. President Droupadi Murmu also expressed her condolences over the incident. In an X post she wrote: "The news of death of many people due to fire in Harda, Madhya Pradesh is extremely sad. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured".
मध्य प्रदेश के हरदा में आग लगने से अनेक लोगों की मृत्यु होने का समाचार अत्यंत दुखद है। मैं शोक संतप्त परिवारों के प्रति गहन संवेदना व्यक्त करती हूं और घायल हुए लोगों के शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की कामना करती हूं।
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 6, 2024
5. Chief Minister Yadav, reacting promptly to the tragedy, convened a meeting and announced the initiation of contact with the Army to arrange helicopters for rescue operations, ABP News reporter Nitin Thakur reported from Bhopal.
6. Government helicopters will transport the injured to hospitals, with a green corridor being established from Harda to Bhopal for swift transportation. State Government Minister Uday Pratap Singh visited the incident site, providing updates on the evacuation of injured individuals to hospitals in Hoshangabad and Bhopal.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh minister Uday Pratap Singh conducts an aerial survey of the firecracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh where a massive explosion took place today.
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2024
Firefighting operation is underway at the factory. pic.twitter.com/496XoKjjle
7. Madhya Pradesh Minister Prahlad Singh Patel confirmed the deployment of a team of ministers and officials to the site. Burn units in hospitals across Indore, Bhopal, and AIIMS Bhopal were directed to prepare for emergency cases.
VIDEO | "Due to the explosion in the illegal firecracker factory in Harda, many people have lost their lives. CM Mohan Yadav has sent a team of ministers and other officials at the spot," says MP Minister Prahlad Singh Patel (@prahladspatel) on Harda's firecrackers factory… pic.twitter.com/zh5zZFm2k6
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 6, 2024
8. According to reporter Nitin Thakur, a disaster management committee, chaired by Mohammad Suleman, Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Department, has been constituted to review the incident. The committee includes officials from various departments, such as Religious Trusts and Endowments, Backward Classes and Minority Welfare, and Urban Development and Housing.
9. In a meeting, CM Yadav prioritised immediate treatment for the injured, dispatching ambulances from surrounding areas and reaching out to the Army for helicopter assistance. Fourteen doctors were swiftly deployed to Harda, and 70 ambulances were mobilised to the site from various locations, Nitin Thakur reported.
10. Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath commented on the severity of the incident, emphasising the need for a comprehensive investigation. He asserted that all those responsible for the tragedy should be identified and punished accordingly.
VIDEO | “This is a big incident. There should be proper investigation into it and all the culprits should be punished,” says former MP CM Kamal Nath on a major fire at a firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh's Harda. pic.twitter.com/MsQirS95Tw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 6, 2024