At least five injured in an explosion at a mushroom factory in West Bengal

A mushroom factory’s furnace exploded in West Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district, sparking a fire inside the unit and injuring at least five workers, police said on Saturday (July 18, 2026).

The incident occurred late on Friday (July 17) in Jamuria and the blast was heard almost a kilometer away.

A senior police officer said the blast sparked a fire inside the factory, prompting a massive rescue operation by police and fire brigade.

“So far, five workers have been rescued and taken to various hospitals in critical condition. It is not yet clear if anyone else was near the furnace at the time of the explosion.”

“Search operations inside the unit cannot begin until the temperature drops and the area is declared safe,” Jamuria police station senior officer Soumendra Singh Thakur said.

Another police officer said that the temperature around the furnace went up to several degrees Celsius after the explosion, making rescue operations extremely difficult.

Locals claimed eight to 10 workers were still missing and were feared trapped inside the factory. They also said that houses near the factory suffered cracks due to the explosion.

Local BJP leader Deep Bandopadhyay questioned the safety standards at the factory, claiming that no representative of the factory management or security personnel were present after the accident.

“Despite such a devastating incident, no one from the leadership was seen at the spot. Local MLA Bijan Mukhopadhyay immediately arranged for ambulances to ensure that the injured were taken to hospitals without delay,” Mr. Bandopadhyay said.

He further claimed that workers at the factory were forced to work in dangerous conditions and demanded a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

Published – 18 Jul 2026 11:39 IST