Death Toll Rises to 8 in West Bengal Explosion as Forensic Probe Continues

A residential building in Pathar Pratima was destroyed in a blast, with authorities investigating the cause and political tensions escalating over safety concerns.

• Eight members of the Banik family, including children as young as six months old, died in the explosion in Pathar Pratima, West Bengal.
• Police confirmed the house was a residential building and denied it was a firecracker manufacturing unit, though raw materials may have been stored there.
• The family owned a licensed firecracker manufacturing unit located a few meters away from the house, according to local officials.
• Forensic experts are analyzing the cause of the explosion, which reportedly involved multiple blasts and left the site covered in debris.
• Political leaders have clashed over the incident, with opposition figures alleging governance failures and inadequate safety enforcement in the state.

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