Kadipur cracker godown blast: Agreed to load explosives hoping to make quick buck

GURUGRAM: Kanhaiya Lal, Shailender Mishra and Lal Bahadur were about to wind up their work when Nepal Mahato, a security guard at the cracker godown, called them to help load boxes of explosives into a mini truck on Sunday night. The three readily agreed so that they could earn some extra money, but little did they realise that they would be risking their lives.

Lal, Bahadur and Mishra migrated to Gurugram from Uttar Pradesh to make a living. The first two are into gas-cutting business while the other is running a tea stall.

Lal told TOI that minutes after they started loading explosives into the mini truck, the explosion happened. “The impact of the blast was very high. We couldn’t understand what was happening. The mini truck was ripped apart in the blast, and parts of it hit Nepal. I tried to save him but could not do much,” said Lal who has been admitted to Kamla hospital in Kadipur.

Lal said someone rushed him to the hospital on a bike while the other injured were taken to hospital in an autorikshaw. Around seven people — Lal, Mishra, Bahadur, Sanju, Anil, Nepal, and Sattar — suffered injuries in the blast. Nepal and Sattar died, five others were admitted to hospital with injuries.

Lal suffered multiple injuries and burns and his face is scarred. While Lal was narrating what had happened, his nephew Bahadur was lying on the next bed in Kamla hospital, fighting for his life.

According to doctors at the hospital, he is in a critical condition. Bahadur’s face is disfigured and his whole body has burns.

Dr Santosh Yadav, owner of Kamla hospital, told TOI, “They had come here with serious burns. While Lal is recovering, Bahadur is in a critical state now. Both of them are from Amethi while Mishra is from Rae Bareli. Mishra is undergoing treatment in Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital.

Asked if someone from the firecracker godown had approached them, Lal said some people had arrived at the hospital but no one spoke to them directly. An FIR has been registered for culpable homicide and attempt to murder. “As of now, nobody has spoken to us about the compensation or further legal action,” said Lal.