On Feb 6th, In an explosion and fire at an illegal firework factory on the outskirts of Harda district, Madhya Pradesh, at least 11 people died and 200 were injured. Multiple, intermittent blasts with large quantities of gunpowder were noticed at the site that may have triggered the blasts.
Impact of the Blast 
The factory is situated at Magardha Road in Bairagarh village of Harda district, where the blast occurred. It was so intense that its effect was felt up to a radius of 15 km. Several commuters nearby were injured, and the two-wheelers parked nearby also went up in flames. The blast also caused a stampede that led to more damage.
Government’s Response
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said over 50 ambulances rushed to the site and all burn units in Indore and Bhopal’s medical colleges were instructed to prepare in advance for coming patients. He also announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh for families of the deceased.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM’s National Relief Fund. 
Three people, factory owner brothers Ramesh and Somesh Agrawal and general manager Rafiq have been arrested after the incident.
Fails, Blasts and Deaths
The factory has a past of failed inspections, blasts, and deaths, yet it stayed in business until this incident.
On July 5th, 2015, two people died in a house where explosives were stored by one of the owners of the factory, Rajesh Agrawal. Harda court had sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment in 2021, but he bailed out by filing an appeal.
In 2017-18, for violation of norms, the factory’s license was suspended by the collector, and the factory remained closed for six months. As soon as the collector got transferred, the factory again started its business.
Again, In 2021, three people died in a house blast in the same locality, and a case was registered which is still open.
On Sept 25, 2022, After inspection, the collector suspended all licenses issued to the factory. The collector suggested Petroleum and Explosions Safety Organization cancel the factory’s license given by them.
In 2022, during an inspection, stocks of explosives beyond permissible limits were found in the factory, thus violating security protocols. The factory was permitted to store only 15 kg of explosives but 7.5 lakh crackers were found. However, again the factory started running.
The factory failed another inspection in Oct 2023 but still stayed in business which led to another blast on Tuesday.
READ : Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code
