Seventeen people died and 18 others were injured in an explosion at a gunpowder factory near Nagpur. PM Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively for the families of the victims.
At least 17 people were killed and 18 others injured after a blast at a gunpowder factory in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the deaths and announced compensations of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5 lakh for the families of the victims.
The blast occurred at the SBL Energy Limited factory at Raulgaon near Nagpur. Visuals from the site showed a thick black plume of smoke coming out of the facility.
Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Harrsh Podar told India Today TV that the explosion took place at the factory, which manufactures mining and industrial explosives. Company representatives later told PTI that the incident occurred at the detonator packing unit between 7 am and 7:15 am.
Emergency teams rushed to the spot soon after the blast. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel joined local responders, while rescue operations were intensified.
District Collector Vipin Itankar and SP Podar were present at the site to oversee relief efforts. The injured were shifted to hospitals in Nagpur, police said.
PM Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives, calling the incident “deeply distressing.” In a post from the Prime Minister’s Office, he announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each victims and Rs 50,000 for the injured.