HYDERABAD: The death toll from the explosion and fire at an illegal fireworks factory on the outskirts of Hyderabad rose to 10, after another injured victim, identified as Waqar, died at the Burns Ward of the Civil Hospital on November 17.
The deadly blast occurred on Saturday in an unregistered fireworks manufacturing unit operating inside a house in Leghari Goth, Unit 10 Latifabad. The powerful explosion shook surrounding neighbourhoods, causing panic among residents, while rescue teams and firefighters took hours to control the blaze and retrieve bodies from the debris. According to police, two injured persons are still under treatment.
Officials confirmed that three of the deceased have been identified so far. Those identified include the factory owner Asad Yousafzai, as well as Faisal and Rizwan. Police said the factory was being run illegally in a populated area without safety measures, and that hazardous materials were being stored in a cramped space conditions that turned the blast into a fatal inferno.
Investigators say negligence and violation of safety laws appear to be the primary causes of the tragedy. On Monday, Latifabad B-Section Police produced in a court a key suspect, Shakeel Punjabi, the co-owner of the premises where the illegal fireworks unit was being operated.
The suspect was produced before Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) No. 2 at the Central Jail Hyderabad, where the court granted his seven-day physical remand for interrogation. Police say further arrests are likely as the investigation broadens. The blast has once again brought attention to the widespread and dangerous practice of running unlicensed fireworks workshops in residential localities of Hyderabad. Police continue to investigate the cause of the explosion, identify remaining victims, and trace the supply network of explosive materials used in the factory.