At least seven people have been reported dead after another body was pulled out from the rubble of an explosion that ripped through a firecracker factory in Hyderabad a day earlier, it emerged on Sunday.
Rescue officials confirmed to Dawn the recovery of one more body from the rubble, which was pulled out late on Saturday.
On Saturday, a statement from the Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that “a powerful explosion was reported in a firecracker factory on the banks of the Laghari Goth river, Latifabad Police Station B Section limits,” following which a fire broke out in the factory.
He said the fireworks were being illegally manufactured in a house without a licence.
“We can only tell you the actual position once the rescue operation is complete. There is rubble from one room that collapsed with the boundary wall, so there are reports of some people and children who were working there; we are trying to get them out.”
The sound of the explosion was heard miles away.
##’Illegal factory’
Latifabad Assistant Commissioner Saud Lund also confirmed that the fireworks were being illegally manufactured in a house without a licence.
However, the Hyderabad SSP said: “Initial findings show that the factory owner [Asad Zai] actually got a licence for some other spot, but he was manufacturing fireworks at the present location.”
He said that the owner was absconding, and details of the factory’s licence were being verified
Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Shoro also visited the site of blast and then inquired after the health of injured shifted burns ward and its high dependency unit (HDU).
The injured were identified as Shiraz, son of Sanaullah; Waqas, son of Arshad; his brother Kashif; Anas, son of Akram; Naeem, son of Yusuf’ and Mushtaq.
Three of them suffered 98 per cent burns and their condition was said to be critical.
On Saturday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice of the incident and directed officials to provide the best possible medical care to the injured.
According to a CM House spokesperson, the chief minister ordered authorities to determine the cause of the explosion and conduct a comprehensive audit of the factory’s safety measures. “Negligence in safety matters will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.
Home Minister Lanjar instructed officials to immediately investigate the factory’s legal status and verify whether it held the required licence and adhered to safety regulations for manufacturing fireworks.
“Playing with people’s lives cannot be allowed. Such incidents are unacceptable,” he said.
In August, at least two people were killed and 33 were injured when a massive explosion took place inside a warehouse storing raw material used for the preparation of firecrackers, in a densely populated area near Karachi’s Taj Medical Complex.
