10-ft crater at WB explosion site, Governor says big danger to peace

Bomb disposal squad members on Friday inspected a 10-ft deep crater created at the spot of an explosion in Naihati town in West Bengal's 24 Parganas North district, where a number of houses were damaged during defusal of crackers.

The squad members visited the explosion site, cordoned off by the police, and videographed and photographed the crater as also the cracks on the walls and roofs in the houses which have sustained various degrees of damages.

Such was the impact of the explosion, that doors, windows, false ceilings, glass and wooden furniture of a number of dwellings were uprooted, ceiling fans got twisted.

Even houses about 100 metres from the explosion spot were damaged.

A silver coloured power was seen scattered near the site, with the authorities waiting for forensic experts scheduled to go to the site and collect samples.

Naihati Municipality chairman, who visited the affected houses, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has sought a report. He pledged rehabilitation of the people whose houses have become inhabitable.

A few residents said as a precautionary measure, they have sent their children to the homes of relatives

Some houses in Chuchura in Hooghly district, on the opposite bank fo the river also developed cracks while several people sustained injuries from falling furniture.

"Authrorities are talking of compensation. But the shock and panic that has gripped us, cannot be compensated by doling out money," said a resident.

In Kolkata, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar described the happening as a "big danger to peace" and called for fixing responsibility on both people who had stocked such explosives and those whose job was to keep watch on such developments.

Dhankhar also referred to the January 3 blast in a cracker factory here which had killed four people and injured one person.

"Why was the supervision so slack? What was the reason for the administrative shortcomings? There should be an in-depth probe. We have to go to the bottom and find out who all profited from the running of unlicensed factories, and also those protecting such unscrupulous people.

"Peace can return to the society only when these people - be they politicians, administrators or from other sections of the society - are exposed," he said.

The BJP has already demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the happenings.

"The impact of the explosion has been both extensive ad intensive. I think there should be a probe by NIA. There should be an inquiry on wherefrom such huge amount of explosives were brought, Awhere they were stored, and how they exploded," said BJP national executive member Mukul Roy.

The incident in Naihati, about 50 km from Kolkata, triggered violence on Thursday, as angry locals beat up three members of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and a police constable, besides torching two police vehicles.

The residents also put up a road blockade, obstructing traffic.

According towitnesses, over the past four days police were raiding illegal fire cracker factories and seizing crackers, and explosives following the deadly fireworks manufacturing unit blast.