Harda: At least 11 persons were killed and more than 200 people sustained injuries in an explosion at the firecracker factory in Madhya Pradesh’s Harda town on Tuesday.
After the investigation, three persons have been arrested by the police in this connection. The accused persons have been identified as Rajesh Agrawal and Somesh Agrawal, the factory owner- brothers and Rafiq Khan, the general manager.
The incident occurred in Bairagarh locality on Magardha Road, on the outskirts of Harda town, prompting the state government to seek Army helicopters for evacuation.
So far, 174 people have been rescued from the incident site — 34 were referred to Bhopal and Hoshangabad and six to Indore, while many others were undergoing treatment in the district hospital.
One death has been reported from among the people who were referred, and 10 deaths have been reported from the district hospital.
The fire has been doused, and debris is removed from the site. Investigation into the matter is underway. Meanwhile, efforts were underway to ascertain the exact number of people feared to be trapped in and around the factory.
