Father-son duo held for Gujarat blast that killed 21

Ashish Chauhan / TNN / Updated: Apr 4, 2025, 10:26 IST

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The Deesa firecracker factory blast, which killed 21 people, was caused by the deliberate negligence of Khubchand Mohanani and his son Deepak, who instructed workers to keep the shutters closed to avoid detection. The explosion was triggered by the presence of aluminum powder used in the production of firecrackers.

Father-son duo held for Gujarat blast that killed 21

AHMEDABAD: The investigation into the Deesa firecracker factory blast, which claimed 21 lives, revealed how the accused father and son deliberately turned the unit into an imminent death chamber headed for a fatal explosion.
The accused, Khubchand Mohanani and his son Deepak, who had no licence to operate the fireworks godown, had "instructed workers to always keep the shutters closed to avoid scrutiny from the authorities", leaving little chance of escaping a catastrophe, according to a survivor - Rajesh Nayak, a labourer from Madhya Pradesh.

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A forensic examination confirmed that the presence of "aluminium powder", one of the ingredients used to make firecrackers, caused the explosion, police said Wednesday. An FSL team also "found yellow dextrin powder in the warehouse", Banaskantha SP Akshayraj Makwana said.

Police had arrested warehouse owner Khubchand Mohanani from Sabarkantha district Tuesday night, Makwana said. Deepak had been arrested earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, 18 victims will be cremated in their native villages in MP's Harda and Dewas districts on Thursday. One boy's body was never found - his severed head alone was counted among the dead.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

The Deesa firecracker factory blast that killed 21 people was found to be the result of illegal operations by Khubchand Mohanani and his son Deepak, who had no licence and instructed workers to keep shutters closed to avoid detection.
Survivor Rajesh Nayak stated that the closed shutters left workers with no escape route during the explosion.
Forensic reports confirmed aluminium powder caused the blast, with yellow dextrin powder also found at the site, police said.
Police arrested both accused; meanwhile, 18 victims will be cremated in their native villages in Madhya Pradesh, with one body still partially unaccounted for.

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