Death toll reaches 17 in fire at cracker factory in Ujjain

UJJAIN: The death toll in the fire at a cracker factory in Badnagar town of Ujjain district has risen to 17 with two more persons, including a woman, succumbing to their injuries in a hospital at Indore, police said today. The blaze had yesterday claimed 15 lives, including eight women and three children, they said.

The fire had broken out last evening in the cracker factory, situated near Khob Darwaza in the city, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Pankaj Shrivastava told PTI. Two more persons succumbed to their injuries today, he said. A magisterial probe has been ordered by the District Collector in this regard, police said.

The factory belongs to one Yusuf Hussain, who was detained by police after the mishap, they said. The fire-tenders took over an hour to control the blaze which caused panic in the area, police said. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh government last night announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh each to the kin of those killed in the incident and Rs 50,000 each to the injured persons.