New Delhi: At least 15 people were killed in a powerful blast at an ammunition manufacturing factory in Maharashtra’s Nagpur. Reports said that 18 people were critically injured in this unfortunate incident. The factory where the blast occurred is located in Raulgaon village of Kalmeshwar tehsil, which lies some 25 kilometres away from Nagpur city.
Early morning blast triggers massive flames
According to reports the blast occurred at the factory early in the morning, somewhere around 6:45 am. It hit the Nonal crimping plant area. Most of the victims of the blast were women.
The shift of the workers at the factory had started at 6 am and there were around 35 workers inside the factory, when the blast took place. There were also 2 supervisors at the spot. The manufacturing unit was that of a company named SBL Energy Limited, which is a major manufacturer of industrial explosives. They are into manufacturing materials used for mining and infrastructure projects, such as detonators and also explosive cartridges.
Fire brigade personnel reached the spot swiftly and doused the flames. They pulled out the injured people who were moved to hospitals in Nagpur city. The NDRF and SDRF teams were also called into help with the rescue operations.
Senior police officers rushed to the spot to oversee the rescue and relief operations. Experts are on the ground to help people who are injured, said officials.
The incident happened just a year after a major fire at a nearby factory, raising concerns about the safety measures taken in such manufacturing units. The police said that a probe has been initiated into the blast and a report is expected soon. Then accountability would be fixed, they added.
Thick smoke and debris is hampering the rescue efforts, said police. The bodies have been shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital and a postmortem would be carried out soon.