Ahmedabad Blast and Fire Kill 9 at Illegal Cracker Unit; Three Arrested
A day after nine persons were killed and six others injured in a blast and subsequent fire at an unauthorised firecracker factory in the Ramol area of Ahmedabad, the city police on Sunday arrested three individuals who were operating the unit without a valid licence.
According to Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, the firecracker unit's licence had expired in March, and the accused had been running the unit illegally for the past 20-25 days. He stated that the operators allegedly took advantage of the police being occupied with security arrangements for the Rathyatra festival, which was held on July 16.
The three accused have been identified as Ramila Dodiya, her son Mehul, and their partner Sadiq Saiyyed. They are expected to be produced before a court in Ahmedabad on Monday. The police have formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, which occurred on Saturday.
The blast and fire at the illegal firecracker unit highlight concerns about the enforcement of safety regulations and the operation of hazardous facilities without proper oversight. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
