Accident – death – Obituary News :

Explosion at an Explosives Manufacturing Factory in Nagpur Claims Nine Lives

Nagpur, Dec 17 (PTI) – A tragic incident occurred on Sunday morning at an explosives manufacturing factory in Chakdoh, Maharashtra’s Nagpur district, resulting in the death of nine workers and leaving three others seriously injured. The blast took place in building number HR-CPCH-2 (Mixing, Melting, and Casting) of Solar Industries India Limited. Ashish Srivastava, senior general manager of the company, expressed his condolences and confirmed the loss of lives.

Following the incident, angry locals and relatives of the workers blocked the Amravati-Nagpur highway near the factory. They demanded access to the premises to see the bodies of their loved ones. Approximately 200 people gathered outside the gate, while the police tried to pacify them and requested them to disperse.

A senior police official stated that the process of securing the explosives near the blast site was underway. Once completed, the bodies would be recovered, the official added.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited the blast site to assess the situation and offer their condolences to the affected families. In a message on social media, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state government would provide compensation of INR 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, while the company would contribute INR 20 lakh each.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar demanded that the government provide compensation of INR 50 lakh to the families of the deceased and offer job opportunities. He also urged authorities to register an offense against the owner of the company for the incident.

Concerns were raised about the safety norms and the training provided to the deceased workers. Wadettiwar vowed to address the issue during the ongoing Winter Session of the Legislature in Nagpur.

According to Srivastava, the blast occurred in the building where boosters used in coal mines are produced. The incident took place during the sealing work of the product.

The nine deceased workers have been identified as Yuvraj Charode, Omeshwar Macchirke, Mita Uikey, Aarti Sahare, Swetali Marbate, Pushpa Manapure, Bhagyashree Lonare, Rumita Uikey, and Mausam Patle.

While authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage and investigate the cause of the explosion, the bodies of the victims were yet to be removed from the site as of late Sunday night.

NCP MLA Anil Deshmukh, who visited the site, emphasized the need to secure the entire area before recovering the bodies.

Relatives of the deceased expressed their grief and frustration as they waited outside the factory gate. Neelkanthrao Sahare, father of one of the victims, pleaded for his daughter’s body to be handed over to him. Sahare’s daughter, Aarti, supported her speech-impaired mother and younger sister.

Rumita Uikey, a 32-year-old mother of two, also lost her life in the blast. Her father, Devidas Irpati, who was waiting outside the production facility, expressed his anguish and uncertainty regarding when he would receive his daughter’s body.

The authorities have initiated a thorough investigation into the incident, and the state government has promised to implement the recommendations made by the inquiry committee.

This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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