Batala : At least 18 people were killed and more than 30 seriously injured, when a series of blasts rocked a firecracker manufacturing unit located near Balmiki Ashram on Jalandhar road in the heart of Batala , district Gurdaspur on Wednesday afternoon. A massive traffic jam prevented administration and police officials to go in for a full-scale rescue operation.
The blast took place at around 4 pm in one of the most populous areas of the town.The blasts occurred a day ahead of the 532nd birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev. Festivities are held in the city every year and this time too they were on in full swing when residents heard two loud blasts and a series of low-decibel level ones
Devotees from nearby cities were slowly converging on the city even as news of the tragedy spread like wildfire. The impact of the blast was so massive that several houses adjoining the cracker factory collapsed.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said rescue operations are underway with the District Collector and the Senior Superintendent of Police heading the relief efforts.
Gurdaspur MP Sunny Deol too expressed grief over the incident.
"Saddened to hear about the news of blast in Batala factory. NDRF teams and local administration have been rushed for rescue operation," Deol said in his tweet.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for the rescue operation.
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