One killed, six injured in blast at gunpowder factory in Chhattisgarh

A worker was killed and six were injured in a blast at an explosives-manufacturing unit in Chhattisgarh’s Bemetara district on Saturday morning.

Rescue operations were on at the factory till evening. Some human body parts were found, prompting suspicion that more victims could be trapped under the debris. However, the police or the district administration did not provide any estimate of the number of people missing.

The factory, spread across 100 acres, manufactures detonators for mining and other industrial purposes, and is located near Pirda village in Berla development block of Bemetara.

The blast, said Bemetara collector Ranbir Sharma, took place around 8.30am. Its impact created a 25-foot-deep crater and buildings within a 100-metre radius were completely damaged, he said.

“Police and rescue teams rushed to the site and seven persons injured in the blast were taken to Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Hospital in Raipur. One person, Sewak Ram, was declared ‘brought dead’. Five have been discharged,” Mr. Sharma added. 

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The State government has instituted a magisterial inquiry to find out the cause of the blast and has announced compensation for the victims.

“Orders have been given to provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. The injured are being brought to Raipur for proper treatment. High-level monitoring of relief and rescue operations is being done at the spot. I pray to God for the peace of the soul of the deceased and the speedy recovery of the injured,” tweeted Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.

Dagendra Sahu, a worker in the factory, said two of his brothers, who work as operators in the unit, are among six to seven persons missing since the blast.

With eyewitnesses giving different accounts of the incident, confusion prevailed throughout the day about the exact number of victims. Government sources said the problem got compounded as many workers fled the factory after the explosion.