Nagpur, March 1 At least 18 workers died and 24 others were injured, most critically, in an 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, at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil, between 7 AM and 7:15 AM.
The bodies were charred beyond recognition, and samples were being taken from family members for DNA testing to identify the deceased, police said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 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 their condolences.
Modi announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government would provide Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased, while the company involved would provide financial assistance to those affected.
Representatives of SBL Energy Limited told
