Madhya Pradesh: 27 workers die in factory blast

Bhopal: At least 27 workers were on Wednesday killed in an explosion in a firecracker factory at Kater, nearly five km from district headquarters town of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh.

Police sources said the toll may go up with bodies of victims still being extricated from the blast site.

“Fifteen bodies have so far been removed. We could see at least a dozen more bodies in the debris inside the factory,” a senior police officer in the district told this newspaper.

“The explosion that took place around 3.30 PM was so powerful that even factory walls were collapsed under its impact,” additional director-general of police G.Janardan said.

Several bodies have been removed and more bodies could by lying under the debris, he added.

According to the police, nearly 50 labourers were working in the factory, built illegally, when the fire broke out leading to the tragedy.

A woman worker injured in the incident reported the matter to the local police leading the administration to launch rescue operation.

The powerful explosion threw away several bodies out of factory, the account of the injured woman worker said. Bodies were seen strewn around 100 meter area near the blast site.

CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered a probe into the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the next kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the injured.