Kolkata: A series of powerful explosions rocked the Nilganj police outpost at Barasat in North 24-Parganas on Tuesday morning after a fire reportedly broke out in a stockpile of seized illegal firecrackers stored outside the outpost building, damaging several vehicles parked in front of the outpost and triggering panic across the neighbourhood.Locals said the blasts jolted residents awake, with thick smoke engulfing the area. The incident has revived memories of the devastating August 2023 explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in Dattapukur that killed nine people. At the time, allegations of negligence were levelled against the Nilganj police outpost, leading to the suspension of the officer-in-charge. The latest explosion at the same outpost has once again raised questions over the handling of seized explosives.According to local sources, the residents were awakened by deafening blasts and rushed out of their homes to find the area engulfed in thick black smoke. The explosions were later traced near the Nilganj police outpost, where around 240 kgs of banned fireworks seized during recent raids had reportedly been stored.Police said, those banned firecrackers had been confiscated from different parts of the Barasat-Duttapukur-Nilganj area two to three days ago and kept at a location in front of the outpost. A fire suddenly broke out in the stockpile in the early hours of Tuesday, leading to a series of explosions.Two fire engines were rushed to the spot and managed to bring the blaze under control after a firefighting operation.Police said no casualties have been reported so far. However, the incident has sparked panic among local residents and raised serious questions over the safety protocols followed in storing seized explosives. Residents alleged that the confiscated fireworks should have been shifted to a secure location instead of being kept inside a densely populated area.“I was startled by the loud explosions early in the morning. When I came outside, I saw that the fireworks stored in front of the Nilganj police outpost had caught fire. The blasts and flames created panic. The police administration should exercise much greater caution in such matters,” said local businessman Indrajit Dey.Another resident, Mamoni Balmiki, said, “The repeated explosions woke me up. When I stepped outside, I saw the entire area covered in thick black smoke, and flames were still burning in front of the police outpost. We were terrified until the fire brigade arrived and brought the situation under control.”The explosions also allegedly caused partial damage to a motorcycle showroom located adjacent to the police outpost.J Mercy, SP, Barasat, however told TOI, “Some seized banned firecrackers had been stored at a location outside the police outpost. The incident occurred after the stockpile accidentally caught fire. There have been no reports of casualties or major damage. We are investigating how the fire started.”
