Kolkata, April 4 – West Bengal police have arrested another suspect in connection with the devastating explosion in Pathar Pratima, South 24 Parganas district, which claimed the lives of eight family members, including four children.
Brother of Prime Accused Detained
The latest arrest involves Tushar Banik, brother of Chandrakanta Banik, the prime accused who was taken into custody earlier this week. According to a senior police official, Chandrakanta Banik owns a firecracker manufacturing unit located just a few metres from the house where the explosion occurred on Monday night.“Today, we have arrested another accused, Tushar Banik, who is the brother of the factory owner. We are questioning him as part of our ongoing probe into the incident,” the officer confirmed.
Blast Kills Eight Family Members
The explosion, initially triggered by a gas cylinder, ripped through a residential house in Pathar Pratima, resulting in the deaths of eight people from the same family. The incident has sent shockwaves across the region and brought renewed attention to the proliferation of illegal firecracker units operating in residential areas.Pattern of Tragedies in the State
This tragedy adds to a disturbing pattern of similar incidents in West Bengal:- February 12, 2025: Four people were killed in an explosion at an illegal firecracker unit in Nadia district.
- May 2023: Eleven people died in Egra, Purba Medinipur, following a blast at an unlicensed firecracker factory.
- August 2023: Another deadly explosion in North 24 Parganas resulted in seven fatalities.
