Maharashtra: 11 injured in massive explosion at chemical factory in Ratnagiri

At least 11 persons most of them workers were injured in an explosion at a chemical factory in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra on Friday police said reported the PTIAccording to the police the explosion took place at the Dr Khan Industrial Consultants DKIC unit located at Lote Parshuram MIDC chemical zone around 250 km from MumbaiDKIC is a leading manufacturer of various specialty silica based chemicals and chemical intermediates and caters to a wide array of industries ranging from steel textile paints and electronics as per the PTIThe injured have been admitted to local hospital police said adding they are probing the cause of the accidentFurther details are awaited19 killed in Nagpur factory blastThe incident comes days after a massive explosion at Nagpur factory that killed 19 peopleMaharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had earlier this week said that prima facie there was negligence on the part of the private company operating the facility as it failed to follow safety measuresBawankule insisted that besides the firm SBL Energy Ltd accountability for the tragedy will also be fixed on officials of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation PESO Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health DISH and the labour commissionerate23 others were injuredSpeaking separately Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis pitched for 100 per cent automation of certain protocols and processes in manufacturing of explosives and said the SBL Energys managing director was among nearly a dozen people who have been arrested in connection with the blastAt least 19 workers died and 23 people were injured in the blast at the detonator assembly unit of SBL Energy a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil of Nagpur district on Sunday morningEighteen of the workers died on Sunday and one succumbed on MondayThe PESO DISH and the labour commissionerate have failed to ensure safety practices in explosive manufacturing units in the region and their accountability must be fixed Bawankule told reporters in NagpurOf the injured persons 13 were in critical condition the Nagpur district guardian minister statedCompensation announcedHe informed that the company will pay a compensation of Rs 75 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and Rs 25 lakh to every injured person Besides the state government will provide Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased while the Centre will give Rs 2 lakhThus the families of the deceased will get a total compensation of Rs 82 lakh each Bawankule said adding a rehabilitation package will be drawn up for those who suffered physical disabilities in the tragedyHe held a meeting with state minister Ashish Jaiswal Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barwe Katol MLA Sharad Singh Thakur the divisional commissioner district collector superintendent of police and officials of PESO and DISH in connection with the blastPolice have registered a case against 21 directors and shareholders of SBL Energy under Section 105 culpable homicide not amounting to murder of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita officials saidwith PTI inputs