Four young lives teetered on the edge after a fiery explosion from a chemical drum at a West Bengal roadwork site in Canning. The South 24 Parganas mishap has exposed glaring gaps in handling hazardous materials near populated areas.
It was a routine Tuesday evening. Students Sadikul, Samiul, Raihan, and Riyaz Mollah played along the roadside in Khargachi. Suddenly, a 200L LDO drum—abandoned amid repairs on the 7km Ghatakpukur-Madhyakhargachi path—burst with ferocious intensity.
The children bore the brunt: one, writhing in torment, plunged into a pond nearby. Swift local intervention saved them initially, with transport to Nalmuri Rural Hospital. Critical escalation sent three to Kolkata’s MR Bangur, where Sadikul fights severe burns.
High-profile response followed: Bhengar DC Saikat Ghosh and Canning East MLA Saikat Molla inspected the wreckage. Police have mobilized elite teams, including bomb squads, to unravel the blast mystery. ‘Investigation launched; causes under forensic lens,’ confirmed officials.
The backdrop? Recent road mending on this dirt track. Locals decry the recklessness: open storage of flammables on child-heavy routes. ‘Where were the safeguards?’ they ask. This incident amplifies calls for rigorous protocols in public works. Beyond medical aid, it demands systemic change to shield the vulnerable from such follies.