Gurdaspur, September 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the death of 23 people in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district after an explosion took place at a firecracker factory. PM Modi in a tweet extended his condolences to the families who lost near ones in the explosion. At least 25 people were also injured in the tragedy. Batala Firecracker Factory Blast Leaves 23 Dead, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh Orders Probe.

PM Modi tweets, “The tragedy at a firecracker factory in Punjab is heart-wrenching. Deeply anguished due to it. My condolences to families of those who lost their lives. I hope the injured recover at the earliest. Agencies are working on rescue operations at the site of tragedy.”

PM Narendra Modi's Tweet:

The blast took place at the unauthorised firecracker factory in Batala town of the district. The blast, which damaged nearby homes and buildings, was followed by a huge fire with clouds of black smoke billowing out. The unit was manufacturing and storing crackers for marriage anniversary celebrations of the first guru of Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev. West Bengal: Fire Breaks Out at Firecracker Factory in South 24 Parganas, 10 Injured.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry into the explosion. Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Batala will conduct the inquiry into the tragic incident. The Chief Minister announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs two lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the seven severely injured.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 05, 2019 09:57 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).