West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday apologised for the explosion at an illegal firecracker unit in East Medinipur district.

On May 16, an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in West Bengal’s East Medinipur district had left 10 persons dead, including the main accused person who owned the facility. The impact of the blast at Khadikul village of the district had caused the factory to collapse.

“I will bow my head down to you and apologise for the incident,” Banerjee said on Saturday, reported PTI. “Had intelligence worked properly then this blast could have been averted.”

Banerjee made the admission at Khadikul village after she distributed compensation cheques to relatives of those who were killed and injured in the blast. She also handed over appointment letters for jobs as home guards to one member each from the family of those killed in the blast, reported the news agency.

Soon after the blast on May 16, the Trinamool Congress chief had ordered an inquiry by the Criminal Investigation Department into the incident.

However, the Bharatiya Janata Party had demanded that the National Investigation Agency should look into the case. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed an explosion of such a high magnitude suggested that the firecracker factory was a front to make crude bombs.