At least eight people were killed and seven others injured when a massive explosion rocked an ordnance factory in Jawahar Nagar taluka of Bhandara district in eastern Maharashtra on Friday morning.
Of the injured, the condition of five was reported to be serious. While the cause of the mishap has not been established, rescue and relief operations were still underway at the vast complex housing the Ordnance Factory in Bhandara until late evening.
A press release issued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) earlier in the day stated that the incident took place at 10:30 am. “The incident resulted in a fire and a subsequent building collapse. Initially, 13 individuals were reported trapped at the site. The NDRF team was immediately deployed to the location and is working tirelessly to rescue those affected,” the NDRF said.
The Ordnance Factory, located in the Satpura Mountain ranges in Jawahar Nagar taluka of Bhandara, manufactures single-base propellant, double-base propellant (ballistite), double-base propellant (rocket), high explosives, and their compounds.
The explosion was so intense that its sound could be heard up to seven to ten kilometers away from the accident site. Objects from the exploded factory were flung several meters away, eyewitnesses said.
The smoke from the explosion-hit factory continued to billow out for several hours and could be seen from a distance of two to three kilometers away.
Confirming the deaths and injuries in the incident, Union Minister and MP from Nagpur Nitin Gadkari described the explosion as “unfortunate”. He was speaking at an event in Nagpur.
“A sad incident has occurred. At the ordnance factory in Bhandara, an explosion took place, causing the death of eight people and injuring seven others. This is the early report. I ask everyone to stand for a minute to honor them, and then we will continue with the program,” he said.
Expressing his grief over the casualties in the ordnance factory blast, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on the micro-blogging site “X”: “Deeply saddened to know about the blast at the Ordnance Factory at Bhandara, Maharashtra. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. The rescue teams are deployed at the site. All efforts are being made to provide assistance to those who are affected.”
Giving details of the incident, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis - who is away at the 54th World Economic Forum (WEF) meet in Davos - wrote on “X” earlier in the day: “There is news of an incident where 13-14 workers are trapped due to a roof collapse caused by an explosion at the ordnance factory in Bhandara. Five workers have been safely rescued. The Bhandara Collector and SP are at the site, ensuring immediate rescue measures and all required support. SDRF and Nagpur Municipal Corporation teams are deployed for the rescue operation.”
“District administration is also coordinating with multiple teams. Medical assistance teams are ready too. As per the info received till now, one worker unfortunately lost his life. My condolences to his family. We stand with the family in this tough time. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Fadnavis added.
Bhandara District Collector Dr Sanjay Kolte and Superintendent of Police Noorul Hasan are camping at the site.
Teams from Bhandara and Nagpur, along with specialized teams from NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are carrying out the rescue and relief operations. The NDRF personnel are utilising specialised equipment to carry out the rescue operation.