At least six workers, including five women, were killed and three others were critically injured in a blast at a firecracker manufacturing unit near Nagpur in Maharashtra on Thursday.
The incident took place around 1 p.m. at Chamundi Explosives Pvt Ltd at Dhamna village, 25 km from Nagpur, the police said.
People gather outside the explosives-manufacturing factory following a blast, near Nagpur on June 13, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
Speaking to The Hindu, Police Commissioner Ravindra Singhal said they suspect that a spark in one of the explosive cords could have triggered the blast. “The firecrackers that were stored in a nearby unit caught fire, which resulted in the blast. The workers were packing them when the incident took place. Experts have been roped in to ascertain the cause of the incident,” he said.
Probe under way
Mr. Singhal said nine injured persons were initially rushed to two private hospitals in the city. Of them, five women and a man died while undergoing treatment. The bodies were shifted to the government hospital for autopsy. A probe is on, he added.
The names of the deceased are Pranjali Modare, 22; Prachi Shrikant Phalke, 19; Vaishali Kshirsagar, 20; Shital Chatap, 30; Monali Alone, 25; and Pannalal Bandewar, 60. The critically injured are Shraddha Patil, 22; Pramod Chaware, 25; and Danasa Marsakolhe, 25.
Police personnel survey the firecracker unit near Nagpur after the blast on June 13, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI
NCP (SP) MLA from Katol and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh visited the blast site. The factory is located in the Katol Assembly constituency. He said the manager and owner of the manufacturing unit were absconding, and criticised the company for not having basic safety measures, including an ambulance.
Sanjay Tidke, general manager of Chamundi Explosive Pvt. Ltd., said he was not at the company at the time of the incident. “As soon as I received information about the incident, I took relief efforts. Compensation will be given to the families of the deceased,” he said.
Union Minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari took to ‘X’ (previously Twitter) and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. He also appealed to the local party workers to cancel a programme organised in the evening to welcome him to the city after he took charge as the Union Road Transport Minister, his office said in a statement.
