By Groundxero

17 December, 2023

In yet another deadly industrial accident, nine workers, including six women, were killed and and three others seriously injured in a massive blast at an explosives manufacturing factory in Nagpur district of Maharashtra on Sunday morning. The company was into manufacturing drones and explosives for the armed forces. The blast took place in a cast booster unit when work of packaging explosives used for coal blasting was going on.

Twelve labourers were present in the unit when the incident took place. The nine deceased have been identified as Yuvraj Charode, Omeshwar Macchirke, Mita Uikey, Aarti Sahare, Swetali Marbate, Pushpa Manapure, Bhagyashree Lonare, Rumita Uikey and Mausam Patle. The three injured workers are said to be in a critical condition and the death toll could rise further.

Following the blast, a crowd of nearly 200 people, comprising locals and relatives of the workers, gathered at the factory gate and raised slogans. Expressing anger and grief, they demanded access to the factory premises to see the bodies of their loved ones. They also blocked the Amravati-Nagpur road outside the factory. Till late Sunday night, the bodies of the workers had not been removed from the site and handed over to the relatives waiting outside the factory gates.

The Maharashtra state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased and ordered an enquiry into the accident.