Kolkata, February 18 – Four children suffered burns in Canning, South 24 Parganas district, after a drum filled with chemicals exploded, police said on Wednesday.
According to police sources, the four children were playing on the roadside on Tuesday evening when a drum filled with chemicals nearby exploded.
The four minors sustained serious burns in the incident. Unable to bear the pain, one of the children jumped into a nearby pond. Three of the children have been taken to MR Bangur Hospital in Kolkata.
It was reported that repair work was underway on the seven-kilometer stretch of road from Ghatakpukur in Canning Purba Assembly constituency to Madhya Kharagachi. Locals said that the road repair work had started a few days ago.
On Tuesday, a drum containing approximately 200 liters of light diesel oil (LDO) was lying on the road. Four students aged between 8 and 10 years were playing near the drum.
Suddenly, the drum burst with a loud noise. One child was severely burned due to the intensity of the explosion. The other three also sustained burns. Unable to bear the pain of the fire, one of the children jumped into a nearby pond.
Locals identified the children as Sadiqul Mollah, Samiul Mollah, Raihan Mollah, and Riaz Hasan Mollah. All four are students of the local Kharagachi Primary School. After the accident, locals quickly rescued them and took them to Nalmuri Rural Hospital. As the condition of the three deteriorated, they were transferred to MR Bangur Hospital in Kolkata. According to hospital sources, Sadiqul's condition is critical.
Upon receiving news of the incident, Deputy Commissioner of Bhangar Police Division, Saikat Ghosh, and Trinamool MLA from Canning East, Saokat Molla, reached the spot.
"The police have launched an investigation into the incident. The Kolkata Police's bomb squad and dog squad also visited the spot to determine the cause of the explosion," said a senior officer of Bhangar Police Division. Locals are raising questions about whether there were safety measures in place during the road repair work and why flammable materials were left on the open road.