Hapur blast: Death toll rises to 13, two booked for culpable homicide

Police personnel and firefighters at the site where an explosion took place at a boiler in a chemical factory, in Hapur on Saturday

The death toll in the blast incident at a factory in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur has risen to 13 on Sunday. The police have booked two persons for culpable homicide in the incident. The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered an FIR under sections 286 (Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 287 (Negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 304 (culpable homicide), 308 (Attempt to commit culpable homicide), 337 (negligence endangering human life), and 338 (grievous hurt by an act which endangers human life) of the Indian Penal Code against the owner of the factory Dilshad and director Wasim.

Meanwhile, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangh is holding a protest against the incident. State president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangh Brahm Sing Rana has demanded a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the victims. "We demand compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the affected families and sealing of all illegally-run factories," he said. Speaking to ANI, the Superintendent of Police, Hapur Deepak Bhuker said that the police got the information about a boiler blast. "On reaching the spot, there was no boiler burst, but some kind of blast."

Although the reason for the blast will be ascertained after the reports of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) investigation, the SP said, the police have recovered plastic pallets used in toy guns from the spot. "The kind of material that had exploded will only be clear after the FSL report. We have recovered plastic pallets from the spot. These pallets are used in toy guns with firecrackers on Diwali. These pallets were being made inside the factory," he said. Further, the SP said that the material being filled in those pallets will be clear only after the FSL report are out.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that there were 33 people working at the factory at the time of the incident, of which 13 were killed and the other 20 sustained injuries. After the incident on Saturday, Hapur District Magistrate (DM) Medha Roopam said, "Permission was there for manufacturing electronics goods but it has to be probed what really was happening. A committee will be formed. Forensic team finding out what chemical has been retrieved (in the explosion at the manufacturing factory."

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