A massive explosion on Friday morning at the ordnance factory in Jawahar Nagar, in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district, killed eight factory workers and left five injured, officials said.
The blast, which took place at around 10.45 am, was felt in nearby villages and heard up to five km away.
The cause of the explosion was not yet determined, officials said. A special investigation team will probe the incident. According to initial reports, the blast occurred at the RDX manufacturing section of the factory.
Bhandara District Collector Sanjay Kolte and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials involved in the rescue operation said eight bodies were recovered from the rubble after the explosion. Five people were also rescued from the rubble with burn injuries, they said.
Personnel from the NDRF, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the local fire department and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation were involved in the rescue operation, which started in the morning and was called off at around 9 pm after all those trapped were accounted for.
“One body was found immediately after the blast occurred and the other bodies were found in the rubble in the evening. They were removed manually as flash cutters cannot be used due to the risk of igniting the site,” said Nikhil Mudholkar, Assistant Commandant, NDRF Pune.
Collector Kolte said fire brigade vehicles and ambulances were dispatched to the spot immediately after the incident. “Rescue operations started immediately. The roof and slab of the factory collapsed during the explosion, and JCB machines were used to clear the debris,” he said.
The eight workers found dead were identified as Chandrashekhar Goswami (59), Manoj Meshram (55), Ajay Nagdeve (51), Ankit Barai (20), Laxman Kelvade (38), Abhishek Chaurasiya (35), Dharma Rangari (35) and Sanjar Karemore (32). The five workers injured were identified as NP Vanjari (55), Sanjay Raut (51), Rajesh Badwaik (33), Sunil Kumar Yadav (24) and Jaydeep Banerjee (32).
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the blast and said, “We are praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. Rescue operations are being conducted with full support.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his sadness. In a post on X, he said, “Deeply saddened to know about the blast at ordnance factory in Bhandara, Maharashtra. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. The rescue teams are deployed at the site. All efforts are being made to assist those who are affected.”
