At least nine people, including six women, were killed and three others sustained injuries in an explosive blast at Solar Industries near Bazargaon village in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on Sunday morning.
According to the police, 12 workers were packaging defence products at a cast booster plant of the firm when the blast occured.
“This blast happened at the time of packing in the cast booster plant in the Solar Explosive Company,” Harsh Poddar, Superintendent of Police, Nagpur (Rural) said.
The exact cause of the explosion is yet to be ascertained. Solar Industries manufactures drones and explosives for the defence forces.
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis termed the incident unfortunate and announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased persons.
He also informed that Nagpur district Collector, IG and SP were rushed to spot.
“It is very unfortunate that 9 people including 6 women died in the explosion at Solar Industries in Nagpur. It is a company that manufactures drones and explosives for the defence forces. Nagpur Collector and Superintendent of Police are in constant touch and the IG, SP, and Collector are at the spot. The state government will give assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kins of those who died in this incident,” he wrote on ‘X’ in Marathi.
In visuals shared by news agency ANI, ambulance was seen reaching the spot. Dozens of police personnel were also deployed in front of the main gate of the company.