The blast was of such an intensity that the cracker factory collapsed.
Seven people died and five others were injured in an explosion at an illegal firecracker manufacturing factory in West Bengal on Tuesday.
The blast was of such an intensity that the factory collapsed with bodies seen strewn around the compound. The incident also prompted a political blame game between the opposition BJP and the ruling Trinamool.
Angry locals attacked the cops who went to investigate the incident in Purba Medinipur's Egra. The owner of the factory, located near the Odisha border, has escaped to the neighbouring state, police said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the man who was running the illegal cracker factory was earlier arrested by the police and charged for it. "But he started again after he was granted bail," she said.
Ms Banerjee has handed over the case to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police. She announced a compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh each to the family of the victims and Rs 1 lakh for the injured, while her government will bear the expenses of their treatment.
The BJP demanded a terror-probe into the explosion, accusing the Trinamool of making bombs ahead of panchayat polls in the state. The incident occurred in a panchayat area backed by the BJP. Purba Medinipur is also the home district of Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.
"This happened in the factory of a TMC leader where bombs were being made. This raises serious law and order situation before the Panchayat election in the WB," said state BJP chief Sukanta Majumbar.
"Is TMC manufacturing bombs at large scale to scare the people before the Panchayat election," he said and urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take cognisance of the incident and investigate this matter.
Ms Banerjee clarified this was an illegal cracker unit and there's no law and order situation.
"This is not an incident connected to law and order. This is an illegal cracker factory. My friends are screaming NIA, NIA (National Investigation Agency). We have no objection. We are already probing, but we have just one demand. If there is an NIA probe, we want the culprit to be caught," she said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the panchayat area was under the control of the BJP and that the Trinamool has nothing to do with the illegal factory.
"They did not allow people to go to the hospital. Is this the time to do politics? They did not allow police to retrieve the dead bodies. It the district of their leaders. So they have a formula," she said.
"The actual culprits are instigating you. Let the police and the fire brigade do their job," she appealed to the villagers.