Daijiworld Media Network – Nagpur

Nagpur, Sep 4: A powerful blast ripped through an explosives manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district shortly after midnight on Thursday, killing one person and injuring 14 others. The incident occurred at the Solar Group plant in Bazargaon, around 30 km from the district headquarters.

The explosion, reported around 12.30 am in the crystallisation building of the unit, was so severe that the entire structure collapsed. Police confirmed that a 25-year-old worker died in the blast. While company officials stated that eight people were injured, police said the total count stood at 14, with seven admitted to ICU and the rest sustaining minor injuries.

Ashish Kumar Srivastava, Senior General Manager of the Solar Group, said, “The explosion occurred at 12.33 am. One person has died and eight were injured. They were immediately shifted to hospital. The exact cause will be known only after an investigation.” He added that emergency systems were activated immediately and cooling mechanisms came into effect after the blast.

A team from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) is expected to visit the site to ascertain the cause of the explosion.

The company has assured that the medical expenses of the injured will be borne entirely by the management, and compensation will be provided to the family of the deceased.

NCP (SP) leader and former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, who visited the injured at the hospital, expressed concern and urged authorities to strictly enforce safety norms in explosive manufacturing units.