At least seven people have been reported dead after another body was pulled from the rubble of an explosion that ripped through a firecracker factory in Hyderabad a day earlier, it emerged on Sunday.
Rescue officials confirmed Sunrise the recovery of one more body from the rubble, which was removed late on Saturday.
On Saturday, a statement from Rescue 1122 spokesperson said that “a powerful explosion was reported at a firecracker factory on the banks of river Laghari Goth, limits of section B of Latifabad police station,” following which a fire broke out at the factory.
He said the fireworks were being made illegally in a house without a license.
“We will only be able to tell you the actual position after the rescue operation is over. There is debris from a room that collapsed along 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 could be heard for miles.
‘Illegal factory’
Latifabad Deputy Commissioner Saud Lund also confirmed that the fireworks were being manufactured illegally in an unlicensed house.
However, the Hyderabad SSP said, “Initial findings show that the factory owner [Asad Zai] He actually got a license for another location, but he was making fireworks at the current location.”
He said the owner was absconding and the factory’s license details were being verified.
Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Shoro also visited the blast site and later inquired about the health of the injured shifted to the burn ward and its high dependency unit (HDU).
The wounded 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 percent 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 ordered officials to provide the best possible medical care to the injured.
According to a CM House spokesperson, the prime minister ordered authorities to determine the cause of the explosion and conduct a thorough audit of the factory’s safety measures. “Negligence in matters of security will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.
Interior Minister Lanjar ordered officials to immediately investigate the legal status of the factory and verify whether it had the required license and complied with safety standards for manufacturing fireworks.
“You cannot allow yourself to play with people’s lives. These types of incidents are unacceptable,” he said.
In August, at least two people were killed and 33 injured when a massive explosion occurred inside a warehouse storing raw materials used for preparing firecrackers, in a densely populated area near Karachi’s Taj Medical Complex.
