Nagpur, March 1 At least 18 workers died, and 24 others were injured, most critically, in a powerful explosion that occurred at an explosives manufacturing factory in Nagpur district, Maharashtra, on Sunday morning, police said.
The explosion took place at the detonator packing unit of SBL Energy Limited, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, in Raulgaon, Katol tehsil, between 7 AM and 7:15 AM.
With one more person succumbing to injuries later in the day, the death toll has risen to 18, a police officer said, adding that 24 injured workers are receiving treatment at two hospitals in Nagpur.
The charred bodies were beyond recognition, and samples were being taken from family members for DNA testing to identify the deceased, police said.
Family members of the victims gathered at the factory compound, located about 50 km from the district headquarters, seeking information about their loved ones.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), along with officials from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and the Defence Information System for Security (DISS), carried out rescue operations, Fadnavis said.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the explosion at a factory in Nagpur, Maharashtra. I extend my condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.
PM Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
"The explosion at a factory in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is deeply distressing. My condolences to the families of the deceased. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The local administration is assisting those affected," Modi said in a post on X.
Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government would provide Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, while the concerned firm will provide financial aid to the families affected.
Representatives of SBL Energy Limited told
