AHMEDABAD: At least 21 persons, including children and women, were killed, while six others injured on Tuesday after a powerful blast and blaze ripped through a godown where firecrackers were allegedly stored and manufactured illegally in Banaskantha district.The fire erupted at 9.30 am, trapping several workers inside Deepak Firecrackers’ facility. An explosion, likely triggered by volatile ammunition used in firecracker production, ignited a devastating fire at the Deesa warehouse. The blast’s sheer force reduced the adjacent godown to rubble, hurling debris 200 meters away and scattering human remains across the site. Within moments, Deesa Municipality firefighters and 108 ambulances rushed to the inferno, battling flames and chaos. As the crisis deepened, SDRF teams launched rescue operations while FSL experts probed the blast’s cause.According to sources, tragedy struck migrant laborers from Madhya Pradesh, having arrived just two days earlier for work, they perished in the fireworks they came to craft.Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said, “We believe no one else remains inside, but firefighting efforts continue.”The official toll remains in question, deepening the chaos.“A massive explosion rocked a firecracker factory in Deesa’s industrial area this morning,” confirmed Banaskantha Collector Mihir Patel. “The blast’s impact was so severe that the factory slab collapsed, endangering not just workers but their families living nearby.” he added, “Deesa Municipality’s firefighting team has now brought the blaze under control.”
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