NAGPUR: Six persons, including five women employees, were trapped in a ball of fire and charred to death after a devastating explosion tore apart Chamundi Explosives Ltd in Dhamna, 25km off Nagpur on Thursday.
While rescue operations were delayed, factory personnel couldn’t venture into the smoke-filled death trap, where dismembered body parts were found in metal wreckage when the fire was finally doused.Three other employees are battling for life at different hospitals in Nagpur. A preliminary probe stated sparks from the explosive sealing section had triggered the blast.
Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis declared Rs 5 lakh compensation to kin of the deceased, but the unit’s management was yet to announce relief to victims’ kin.
The unit, which manufactures safety fuses, gun powder, firecrackers and detonators is located on Amravati highway.
On Thursday, angry villagers blocked the arterial Amravati highway and claimed victims remained trapped inside the explosives sealing and packing unit for over one-and-half hours and were burnt to death. “The bodies were charred beyond recognition,” said an eyewitness, adding there were no adequate safety measures at the factory premises.
Yadavrao Modre, relative of 21-year-old Pranjali, who is one of the victims, said the company premises did not have any effective firefighting mechanism, despite dealing with inflammatory chemicals.
Police commissioner Ravinder Singal along with Joint CP Aswati Dorje reached the private hospital, where the injured were admitted. Singal said the process of registering the offence is underway.