Rajasthan: 231 tonnes of explosive material seized from fireworks warehouses

Over 200 tonnes of explosive material worth about Rs 40 crore was recovered from fireworks warehouses in Rajasthan's Baran district for violating several norms, including storage capacity, officials said on Monday. Superintendent of Police Abhishek Andasu said the action followed a tip-off that warehouses of R.D. Brothers near Mandola village were allegedly storing explosive material far beyond permitted capacity. A joint team of police and municipal council officials conducted a raid on the premises. During inspection, the team found no safety arrangements in place. Even basic firefighting equipment was missing in the warehouses, posing a serious risk to public safety, officials said. The administration immediately sealed all three warehouses after carrying out a seizure operation on February 21 and 22. The operation involved a bomb disposal squad, forensic science experts and the fire brigade, too, the officials said. Around 231 tonnes of explosive material were recovered. The seized items included about 1,350 sacks containing nearly 338 quintals of blue, red and plain ''sutli bombs'', around 5,500 cartons (approximately 1,918 quintals) of ready-made firecrackers, 12 quintals of explosive chemicals such as potassium nitrate, sulphur, charcoal and aluminium powder, and 45 quintals of ''zarda'' used in firecracker manufacturing. The total estimated value of the seized firecrackers and raw materials has been pegged around Rs 40 crore, the officer said. Further investigation into the matter is underway.