Gujarat fire: Aluminium powder found at spot; SIT set up | Latest News India

A forensic investigation has detected the presence of aluminium powder and yellow dextrin powder, two of the ingredients to make firecrackers, at the warehouse near Deesa town in Gujarat where a massive fire broke out on April 1 and killed 21 people, police said on Wednesday.

Banaskantha superintendent of police (SP) Akshayraj Makwana said the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has confirmed the presence of these substances at the site where firecrackers were stored.

Warehouse owners Khubchand Mohnani and his son Deepak Mohnani have been arrested from neighboring Sabarkantha district when they were attempting to flee to Madhya Pradesh, Makwana said.

The SP said a first information report (FIR) filed against the owners charged them with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, along with provisions of the Explosives Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

Makwana said a detailed investigation was underway to determine whether firecrackers were being produced in the godown.

“The accused have not admitted that firecrackers were being manufactured in the godown. But since we have found these materials, we will conduct a detailed probe in that direction. We are also checking the presence of oxidizers, key ingredients to make firecrackers,” Makwana said.

The godown initially had a licence to store firecrackers, but it expired on December 31 due to certain lapses including safety concerns, an official familiar with the matter said.

The Gujarat government has already ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident. The SIT will be headed by Bhavin Pandya, secretary, Land and Reforms, Revenue Department. The team also includes Vishalkumar Vaghela, Deputy Inspector General of Police from Gandhinagar, HP Sanghavi, Director of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Gandhinagar and J.A. Gandhi, Chief Engineer, Roads and Buildings Department.