Mumbai: Eight persons were killed in a blast at the ordnance factory in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district on Friday, and search and rescue efforts are underway for 10 employees, police said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that according to preliminary information, 13 to 14 workers were stuck after the roof of a unit collapsed in the blast at the ordnance factory.
He also condoled the death of one person in the explosion.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari confirmed the death toll at 8 and expressed his anguish at the unfortunate incident.
Around 15-16, labourers were working at the site when the explosion took place. Five of them sustained critical injuries and succumbed while being rushed to the hospital. Rescue teams are now looking for the remaining 9 men who went missing after the blast.
Speaking about the incident during an event in Nagpur, Gadkari paid tributes to the deceased and informed that 8 workers have been killed and 7 injured as per the preliminary information.
The cause of the blast is to be ascertained yet and authorities investigate further. Rescue and medical teams have been deployed at the blast site and are looking for survivors. Authorities are fearing the death toll may rise as more bodies are suspected to be retrieved from the spot.
The Bhandara ordnance factory is known to be a pioneer in explosive and chemical manufacturing. It operates in multi-dimensional product-matrix ranging from acids to high explosives and various propellants.
The factory produces single-base propellants, double-base propellants (such as Ballistite or those used in rockets), and high explosives (HE) with their compounds playing key roles in propulsion and energetic applications.
