The owner of a firecracker factory in Deesa, Banaskantha, and his son were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the deadly explosion that killed at least 21 workers on Tuesday.&nbsp;
Khubchand Mohanani and his son, Deepak Mohanani, were apprehended in Idar, with Banaskantha Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshayraj Makwana confirming that charges of culpable homicide had been filed against them.
&ldquo;We have already filed charges under Section 304 (culpable homicide) against the accused, and investigations are ongoing,&rdquo; SP Makwana told reporters.
The explosion, which occurred at approximately 9.45 am on Tuesday, also left several others severely injured, some with critical burns. Many of the workers, who were primarily from Madhya Pradesh, had only started working at the factory three days prior to the tragedy.
The firecracker factory, identified as Deepak Traders, was located on Dhunwa Road in Deesa. While it held a licence to sell firecrackers, it was not authorised to manufacture them. Authorities suspect that the explosion was triggered by highly flammable aluminium powder, a material commonly used in firecracker production.&nbsp;
A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team confirmed that the warehouse contained a large stockpile of firecrackers.
Investigation expands across multiple states
Authorities are now expanding the investigation beyond Gujarat, with efforts spanning Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. SP Makwana confirmed that officials are also looking into other warehouses owned by the Mohanani family in Sabarkantha, suspecting links to illegal firecracker manufacturing operations.
Sources told a section of the media that the workers, who were from Madhya Pradesh, had begun working at the factory only three days before the explosion. One witness noted, &ldquo;The workers are from Madhya Pradesh. They began the manufacturing operation three days ago.&rdquo;
The factory was reportedly operating without fire safety equipment and lacked the necessary licences for production activities.
Government compensation for victims
In the aftermath of the explosion, the Gujarat government announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the families of those who died, while the Madhya Pradesh government pledged Rs 2 lakh for the families of each victim. Both states have also allocated Rs 50,000 for each of the injured workers.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) CL Solanki, has been formed to probe the incident. Chemical experts will also be consulted. Although the Mohananis have admitted to operating a firecracker business, they have denied any responsibility for the illegal activities at the site.
Tragic link to previous Harda factory blast
The explosion in Deesa has devastated the families of workers who had survived a similar disaster at a firecracker factory in Harda, Madhya Pradesh, in February last year. Twenty workers who survived the Harda blast were employed at the Deesa factory and died in this recent explosion.
One of the victims, Rajesh Nayak, 24, had previously worked at the Harda factory, where a blast killed 11 people. Seeking a new start, he had relocated to Gujarat but tragically lost his younger brother, Vishnu Nayak, and five other relatives in the Deesa explosion.&nbsp;
Speaking to a national daily, Rajesh criticised the government&rsquo;s compensation, saying, &ldquo;Four lakh rupees is not enough. We need at least Rs 50 lakh for the loss of our families.&rdquo;
A 15-year-old boy, also a survivor from Harda, now cares for his three-year-old cousin, who lost both of her parents in the Deesa explosion. "I took my cousin out to drink water and get a biscuit packet. My aunt and uncle died. I am the only one left to take care of her," he said.
The workers were employed under a contractor, Rajesh Agrawal, who had been arrested after the Harda explosion. Agrawal's associates later moved workers to the Deesa factory.
Bhagwan Nayak, another survivor from Harda, lost five family members in the blast. He, along with other victims' families, has refused to cremate the bodies until their demands for a full investigation and a compensation package of at least Rs 25 lakh are met.
&ldquo;We will not accept the bodies until the government agrees to our demands. We need fair compensation and a proper probe into what happened,&rdquo; Bhagwan said.&nbsp;
He confirmed that at least 20 of the workers who died in Deesa had previously worked at the Harda factory.
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Arrested individuals in the godown fire tragedy

Firecracker factory owner Khubchand Mohanani and his son, Deepak, were arrested on Wednesday.

Deesa Factory Explosion Probe Expands, 2 Nabbed

Firecracker factory owner Khubchand Mohanani and his son, Deepak, were arrested on Wednesday.

April 3, 2025 | 14:21 IST