NAGPUR: A massive explosion at the ordnance factory Bhandara (OFBA) past 10.30am , a key defence establishment about 50kms from Nagpur, killed at least eight workers on Friday. There were 13 workers including two apprentices inside the unit, which makes low temperature plastic explosives (LTPE), when the blast happened.
The blast was so severe that it completely turned the unit into a huge pile of rubble, burying workers under the debris. The dead include an apprentice engaged on temporary basis for skill training for two years while the other apprentice received grievous injuries, said sources.
The injured workers were sent to a hospital in Bhandara town. As per their colleagues, three of them are in a critical condition.
Workers union identified the deceased as Ankit Barai (apprentice, 20), Manoj Meshram (55), Abhishek Chourasia (35), Chandrashekhar Goswami (59), Laxman Kelwade (38), DP Rangari (35), Ajay Nagdeve (51) and Sanjay Karemore (32). The injured included Narendra Wanzari (55), Sanjay Raut (51), Jaideep Bannerjee (42), Rajesh Badwaik (33) and Sunil Yadav (apprentice, 24).
Blast impact saw splinters fly 500m
Teams of local police and NDRF swung into action for rescuing the trapped workers. It took around a couple of hours to extricate the first body from the debris. The rescue operations continued beyond 7pm.
LTPE, which is in form of a cartridge, is a specialized ammunition and used for demolition of structures, a factory source told TOI. A highly-placed source in the explosives said LTPE has lesser intensity as compared to other explosives like RDX. The intensity of the blast despite this needs to be probed, said an industry expert.
The locals claimed to having seen a huge fireball on the horizon from as far as 3km. Large pieces of metals that flew outside the factory premises fell more than half a km away. A couple of girls on their way to school had a close shave when a shard fell barely a few steps away from them.
The OFBA is a key defence unit engaged in high energy explosives like RDX and HMX which go into filling of a wide range of ammunition — from artillery shells to rockets — in the form of propellants and war heads in other ordnance factories.
The OFBA comes under Pune-based Munitions India Limited (MIL), the defence PSU formed out of the erstwhile ordnance factory three years ago.
MIL’s chairman Prakash Agrawal confirmed the incident saying that an independent inquiry will be ordered into the matter.
Production was halted in the affected unit after the blast, it was been learnt that rest of the factory will continue to operate. Top management officials, including the chairman, have started from Pune to reach Bhandara.
Given the gravity of the incident, defence minister Rajnath Singh issued a statement on X. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Nitin Gadkari too expressed their condolences.
IG, Nagpur range, Dilip Bhujbal Patil, who along with Bhandara collector Sanjay Kolte and SP Bhandara Noorul Hasan visited the factory, stated that Bhandara police launched the rescue work involving multiple agencies apart from providing logistic support and transporting victims to the nearest hospital. “There were 13 signatures in the attendance register. Thorough searches were conducted at the blast site,” said Bhujbal Patil adding forensic science experts are also being involved to assist the investigation to ascertain the probable cause of the blast.
SP Hasan said that senior officials including IG and collector camped at the blast site for over seven hours. “Apart from regional forensic team, deputy director of industrial safety too has joined the probe. Prima facie, it appeared the casualties increased due to the building collapse. The bodies were retrieved from under the debris with caution and care in a daylong operation,” said Hasan.
A case of accidental death would be registered at Jawahar Nagar police station, the SP said.
