Dewas cracker factory blast toll rises to 5; 13 critical, many with over 90% burns

Indore: The death toll in the Tonk Kalan firecracker factory blast rose to five late Thursday after two workers died from severe burn injuries at Amaltas Hospital. The victims, Amar and Guddu, had suffered nearly 99 percent burns. Earlier, three workers — Dheeraj, Sumit and Sunny — were killed in the explosion that occurred on Thursday morning.

Officials said 13 injured workers remain critical, many with over 90 percent burns, raising fears that the toll could increase further. Of the five deceased, four were from Bihar and one from Uttar Pradesh.

Factory manager Ajaz Khan has been arrested and booked under the National Security Act (NSA) along with factory owner Anil Malviya. Both will be detained at Central Jail in Bherugarh, Ujjain. Police have also registered an FIR against four accused, while manager Mahesh and contractor Bhupendra are absconding.

Investigators suspect major safety violations at the factory, where several migrant labourers from Bihar were employed. Sources also indicated that minors may have been working at the unit.

The district administration has formed separate inquiry teams to investigate the cause of the explosion, adherence to safety norms and possible negligence by monitoring departments. Teams from the pollution control board, labour department, industrial safety wing, forensic science laboratory and electricity distribution company have begun parallel investigations.

Nine workers injured in the explosion were discharged from the Dewas district hospital on Friday after their condition improved.

Meanwhile, 11 injured workers admitted to Dewas district hospital with minor injuries were discharged after treatment. Officials arranged transport for the workers to Itarsi railway station, from where they will travel to Darbhanga in Bihar.

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Indore: More than 24 hours after the deadly Tonk Kalan factory blast, the district administration had still not officially released a complete list of the deceased and injured workers, triggering confusion and distress among families searching for relatives across hospitals in Dewas and Indore.

While officials confirmed the rising death toll, names of several victims were disclosed informally through hospital sources and local residents instead of through an authorised bulletin. Families alleged they were forced to move between hospitals and the blast site for information as there was no centralised official update on the identities or condition of those injured.

The absence of an official list also raised questions over the exact number of workers present inside the factory at the time of the explosion and whether all victims had been accounted for.

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