Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday termed the blast at an explosives factory in Nagpur district as “extremely tragic and unfortunate”, and said a detailed probe has been ordered into the incident.
At least 17 persons were killed and 18 others injured in the blast at the detonator packing unit of SBL Energy Limited factory, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil, officials said.
Orders have been issued for a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion, Fadnavis said in a statement.
The CM said he is in constant touch with the local administration, and that the district collector and superintendent of police rushed to the spot immediately after the blast.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with officials from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and Defence Information System for Security (DISS), were at the site and rescue operations were being carried out on a war footing, he said.
The CM expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
The injured were promptly shifted to Nagpur and were being provided the best possible medical care, he said and prayed to God for their speedy recovery.