The director and manager of an explosives manufacturing factory near Nagpur have been arrested, police announced. This followed a deadly blast at the factory that claimed the lives of six workers. The incident has prompted a thorough investigation into the factory's safety protocols and operational procedures. Further details on the arrests and the investigation are awaited.
A blast at Chamundi Explosive Pvt. Ltd. in Dhamna village, near Nagpur, killed six workers, including five women, and injured three others on Thursday afternoon, police said.
The incident occurred around 1 pm at the factory located under Hingna police station limits, about 25 km from Nagpur city. Nine injured workers were rushed to two private hospitals, where five women and one man succumbed to their injuries, according to Nagpur police commissioner Ravindra Singhal.
Most victims were working in the packaging unit at the time of the explosion, another police official reported. The investigation is ongoing.
Union minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari expressed his condolences on social media platform X. He also urged local BJP workers to cancel a scheduled event to welcome him back to the city following his reappointment as Union road transport minister.
NCP (SP) MLA from Katol and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh visited the blast site, claiming that the factory's owner and manager were missing post-explosion. He also stated that no ambulances were available immediately after the blast, and his supporters arranged for the transportation of victims to hospitals.
Also read | Six workers killed, 4 others injured in blast at explosives-manufacturing factory near Nagpur
