Bhandara factory blast: Don't know how and why the explosion happened, says survivor

Eight persons were killed in the blast in Maharashtra`s Bhandara district. (Pic/PTI)

A survivor from the ordnance factory blast that took place in Jawahar Nagar of Bhandara on Saturday said that he didn't know when and why the explosion happened, reported ANI.

"We don't know how and why the explosion happened... I remember we were all taking out the waste material and putting it in the liner.. The wall collapsed and fell on us.. we were unconscious. When we regained consciousness, we realised that all three of us were trapped in the rubble... I was rescued later.." survivor Sanjay Raut told ANI.

IN PHOTOS: 8 killed after blast at ordnance factory in Maharashtra`s Bhandara

1 day agoPHOTO GALLERY

On Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a financial aid package of Rs 5 lakh for the families of the victims who lost their lives in the explosion.

The Chief Minister's Office shared on X (formerly Twitter), "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh will be provided to the kin of those killed in the Ordinance Factory accident in Bhandara district."

The official death toll from the explosion has reached eight. Additionally, 13 individuals were rescued from the scene, with five others currently receiving medical treatment.

Nagpur Range Inspector General Dilip Patil Bhujbal provided updates, stating, "Today, at around 11 am, a huge explosion took place at the Ordnance factory in Bhandara. The officials reached the spot immediately. The search and rescue operations were completed within 8 hours. It was a unit to make low-temperature plastic explosives."

"13 people were working at the unit. 8 lost their lives and 5 were injured. Two of the injured have been shifted to Nagpur and 3 are in Bhandara. Five tonnes of RDX is still there under debris. The process of removing it safely will begin in phase 2. An SOP would be created so that such an incident does not happen again," said the official.

"Today, our priority was the rescue operation. That has just been concluded. Police and allied agencies will carry out the further investigation," Bhandara Collector Sanjay Kolte told ANI.

According to an official statement from the Ordnance Factory in Bhandara, "Today, on January 24, 2025, at about 10.40 am, a massive explosion suddenly occurred in LTPE Building No. 23 in the HEX section (LTPE) of this factory. Immediately after the explosion, the factory's rescue and relief team, fire brigade team and medical team reached the spot and started the rescue operation at a rapid pace. On receiving the information, the teams of District Administration, NDRR, and SDRF reached the spot and started the relief and rescue work of the personnel trapped in the building."

"People were evacuated from the spot, out of which 5 injured people were taken to the local hospital for treatment and are being given proper medical assistance. 8 people have died in this tragic accident. An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the causes of the incident," said the release.

(With inputs from ANI)