Kolkata. Four children suffered serious burn injuries when a drum filled with chemicals exploded in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. According to police sources, four children aged eight to 10 years were playing on the roadside on Tuesday evening. Then a drum filled with about 200 liters of light diesel oil (LDO) kept nearby suddenly burst with a loud bang. The explosion was so powerful that all four children got caught in the fire. Due to unbearable pain, a child jumped into a nearby pond.
The injured have been identified as Sadiqul Mollah, Samiul Mollah, Raihan Mollah and Riyaz Hasan Mollah. All the children are students of the local Kharagachi Primary School. Immediately after the incident, people saved the children and took them to Nalmuri Rural Hospital. When the condition became critical, three children were admitted to MR Bangur Hospital in Kolkata, where Sadiqul’s condition is critical. According to the information, repair work is going on on the seven kilometer long unpaved road from Ghatakpukur to Central Khargachhi of Canning Purba assembly constituency. People allege that during the road construction work, safety standards were not followed and flammable materials were left in the open. As soon as information about the incident was received, police officers reached the spot and started investigation. A bomb disposal squad has also been called to find out the cause of the explosion. The police have assured that the matter will be investigated seriously and action will be taken against those responsible.
