BHANDARA, Jan 24: A tragic explosion occurred at an ordnance factory in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district on Friday morning, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals, as reported by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
“Preliminary information indicates that eight individuals lost their lives and seven were injured due to the explosion,” Gadkari informed the press.
While the minister confirmed eight fatalities, district collector Sanjay Kolte stated to PTI that, as of now, four bodies have been recovered and five injured individuals have been rescued. Ongoing rescue efforts are focused on four to five individuals who remain trapped under the debris, he added.
The explosion took place around 10:30 AM at the factory situated in Jawahar Nagar, officials reported.
The blast triggered a fire and caused part of the building to collapse, prompting the immediate deployment of a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team for rescue operations, according to an official release.
Specialized equipment is being utilized in the rescue efforts, emphasizing the commitment to ensuring the safety of all personnel involved, as per the NDRF’s statement.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his deep sorrow regarding the incident. He assured that all possible assistance is being extended to the affected families via a post on X.
“I am profoundly saddened to learn of the explosion at the Ordnance Factory in Bhandara, Maharashtra. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families in mourning. I am praying for the swift recovery of those injured,” he conveyed on X.
Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had mentioned that approximately 13 to 14 workers were caught at the scene.
Authorities from the police and district reported that the explosion occurred in the “LTP section.” Collector Kolte further stated that there were 13 to 14 workers present in that section during the incident.
The four deceased individuals have been identified as Chandrashekhar Goswami (59), Manoj Meshram (55), Ajay Nagdeve (51), and Ankit Barai (21). Among the injured are N P Wanjari (55), Sanjay Raut (51), Rajesh Badwaik (33), Sunil Kumar Yadav (24), and Jaydeep Banerjee (42), according to district officials. (PTI)
