Eighteen persons were killed and five others injured after a blast at a firecracker warehouse led to a blaze and collapse of the building in Gujarat's Banaskantha district on Tuesday, officials said.
The incident took place in an industrial area near Deesa town at around 9.45 am.
"As many as 18 persons died in the incident, and five others are injured after the slab of the building collapsed following a massive blast," Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana said.
He said the victims were workers from Madhya Pradesh and their family members, and most of them died after the slab collapsed on them.
The unit was meant to store firecrackers, and so far no clue has been found that firecrackers were being manufactured, Makwana said.
Earlier, officials had said it was a factory.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed grief over the incident and announced a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured persons.
"The incident of the death of workers due to fire and slab collapse in a firecracker godown in Deesa is heart-breaking. My heartfelt condolences are with the relatives of the deceased in this hour of grief," Patel said in a post on X.
"I am in constant touch with the administration regarding the relief, rescue and treatment work in this accident. I have instructed the administration to ensure that the injured get proper treatment at the earliest. The state government will provide an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured," he said.
"I pray that God grants peace to the souls of the deceased workers and speedy recovery to the injured," Patel said in the post.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also expressed grief over the untimely death of workers hailing from MP in the incident.
Yadav said the MP government was in constant contact with the Gujarat authorities.
He said workers affected by the incident will be extended full assistance. All necessary efforts will be made to assist the workers and help their families, Yadav added.
