18 December,2023 02:15 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondent
Workers and locals outside a manufacturing unit of Solar Industries after a blast at the factory at Bazargaon near Nagpur. Pic/PTI
The police on Monday filed a case against unidentified persons after the Nagpur factory blast. A PTI report stated that nine persons were killed and three were seriously injured after a fatal blast at the Solar Industries explosives manufacturing factory.
Nine workers died as a result of an explosion that happened during the production and packaging of Trinitrotoluene (TNT), a powerful military-grade explosive. An official at the Kondhali police station confirmed that the powerful explosion not only resulted in fatalities but also caused the building to collapse, trapping body parts beneath the debris, the report added.
"The accused persons would be identified during the investigation. The deceased were packing the TNT after filling it into a booster intended for coal mine detonation," the official said.
According to the report, the 52 body parts that search teams have discovered at the blast site amid the devastation show the scope of the incident. The blast's high intensity of reverberation throughout the surrounding areas served to emphasise its magnitude.
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Following the blast, irate residents and the relatives of the affected workers blocked the Amravati-Nagpur highway, demanding entry to the scene to identify the dead. Eventually, the crowd was dispersed and the situation was calmed down by law enforcement.
To gather evidence and find bodies that were trapped, authorities sent out specialised squads and used drones. Since the factory is under its purview, the Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO) is looking into the incident, the PTI report added.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the scene and spoke with the impacted families. The company has committed to providing Rs 20 lakh per victim, while the state government has pledged compensation of Rs 5 lakh per deceased individual.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar acknowledged the need for a thorough investigation into this tragic event and reaffirmed Chief Minister Shinde's directive for a comprehensive inquiry into the unfortunate incident during his visit to the site.
"The blast accident at Bazargaon is very unfortunate. A thorough investigation has been ordered into the blast. Instructions have also been given for immediate treatment of the injured in the accident. Tribute to those who lost their lives in this accident. He also expresses his condolences to the families of the deceased," Pawar had written in his media statement.
