Bhandara, 24 January 2025: A blast at an ordnance factory in Maharashtra’s Bhandara district on Friday morning claimed eight lives and injured seven others, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari confirmed.
“Preliminary information indicates eight fatalities and seven injured in the explosion,” Gadkari stated.
However, Bhandara District Collector Sanjay Kolte reported a confirmed toll of four deaths, with five injured individuals rescued. He said operations were underway to locate four or five people still trapped under debris.
The explosion occurred at 10:30 am in the factory’s LTP section, situated in Jawahar Nagar. The blast triggered a fire and caused part of the building to collapse, according to officials.
A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was dispatched to manage the rescue efforts, employing specialized equipment to expedite the operation.
An official NDRF release mentioned ongoing efforts to ensure safety and provide assistance to those involved. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shared earlier that 13 to 14 workers were inside the affected unit during the incident.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his grief over the tragedy. “Deeply saddened to know about the blast at Ordnance Factory at Bhandara, Maharashtra. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Singh posted on X (formerly Twitter).
District authorities identified the deceased as Chandrashekhar Goswami (59), Manoj Meshram (55), Ajay Nagdeve (51), and Ankit Barai (21). Among the injured were N P Wanjari (55), Sanjay Raut (51), Rajesh Badwaik (33), Sunil Kumar Yadav (24), and Jaydeep Banerjee (42).
Rescue operations continued late into the day as teams worked to clear the debris and locate those missing. Authorities have pledged comprehensive support for victims and their families.
