Tripura CM announces Rs 25.16 lakh relief for families after brick kiln furnace collapse kills five

The Tripura government has approved Rs 25.16 lakh as ex-gratia assistance for families affected by the fatal furnace collapse at a brick kiln in Dhalai district, where five workers lost their lives, and three others were critically injured.

The district administration of Dhalai has sanctioned Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased. Additional financial assistance for those critically and less critically injured has been approved from the State Disaster Response Fund.

The deceased have been identified as Subal Debnath, Pinku Shil, Anil Goutam, Bidhu Sharma and Sajal Malakar. The injured — Harkish Sarag, Hankish Chouhan and Santosh Gupta — are undergoing treatment, with some referred to GB Hospital for advanced care.

Chief Minister Manik Saha said the state government would ensure timely relief and extend all possible support to the affected families. The district administration is continuing to monitor the situation and has assured ongoing assistance.

The incident occurred on December 17 at the Aparashkar Brick Factory in the Nakful area of Kamalpur subdivision. A newly constructed furnace collapsed after a fire was lit during an inauguration ritual, trapping workers under the debris.

Rescue operations were carried out by the State Disaster Response Force, fire service personnel and local police. Excavators were used to clear the rubble, while the injured were shifted to nearby hospitals by ambulance.