Lucknow: Initial investigations have revealed that gunpowder used in manufacturing toy guns, which was found at the site, could be the reason behind the blast at a chemical factory in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur.
Twelve people were killed and 20 injured when the boiler exploded on Saturday.
Police officials have said that some long plastic cartridges have been recovered from the premises of the factory.
Preliminary probes suggest that some cartridges that are used in toy guns were also manufactured in the factory. Sources said that the explosion was so strong that its sound was heard 10 km away and some of the factories located in the vicinity were damaged. The blast took place at a factory named Ruhi Industry in Hapur.
Inspector General Parveen Kumar said according to the preliminary probe, the owner of the factory has been identified as Dilshad.
The factory manufactured electronic equipment and got its licence in 2021.
Hapur District Magistrate Medha Roopam said that a committee will be formed to probe the incident. Police have accessed the footage of the entire factory to know the exact cause.
The district magistrate also said that other factories in the area are being inspected and action would also be taken against officials concerned if it was found in the probe that the incident took place due to their laxity.
"We are currently waiting for the forensic report to proceed further in the blast case," she said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also asked officials to get the accident investigated by experts.
The police have now registered an FIR under Section 304 (culpable homicide). —IANS
