Death toll in Nagpur factory blast rises to 7; owner gets bail

The death toll of the blast at an explosives factory near Nagpur city rose to seven on Friday evening with another worker succumbing during treatment even as the owner and manager of the factory got bail soon after arrest.

Five women and a man died in the blast at Chamundi Explosives Pvt Ltd on Thursday afternoon. Another male worker died at a hospital in Nagpur on Friday, a doctor said.

Police on Friday morning arrested Jay Shivshankar Khemka (49), director of the factory, and manager Sagar Deshmukh. They were produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class, Hingna, who granted them cash bail of Rs 50,000 each.

The factory is located in Dhamna village under Hingna police station limits, around 25 km from Nagpur city.

Dansa Mahraskolhe (22), who had suffered 90 per cent burn injuries and was battling for life, died on Friday evening, said Dr Pinak Dande of Dande Hospital in Nagpur.

The blast occurred around 1 pm on Thursday. A total of nine injured persons were admitted to two private hospitals in Nagpur.

Most of the victims were working in the factory's packaging unit when the explosion took place, according to police.

A case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 304 (a) (causing death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by doing any rash or negligent act) was registered against the director and the manager of the factory on Thursday night, police said.

Subsequently, director Khemka, a resident of Ram Nagar in Nagpur, and manager Deshmukh were arrested.

Meanwhile, Union minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari visited the blast site along with officials.

"The factory management has promised to provide Rs 25 lakh to the families of each deceased, while the state government will give Rs 10 lakh," Gadkari told reporters.

Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, also visited the site.

He said guidelines prescribed for such factories should be strictly implemented, and demanded Rs 35 lakh compensation and Rs 20,000 monthly pension for the families of the deceased.

The mortal remains of factory workers Pranjali Kisna Modere (22), Prachi Srikant Phalke (19), Vaishali Ananda Kshirsagar (20), Monali Shankar Alone (25), Pannalal Bandewar (60) and Sheetal Ashish Chatap (30) were handed over to their kin during the day.

While Modere, Phalke, Kshirsagar, Alone and Chatap were cremated in Dhamna, the last rites of Bandewar were held in Satnavri village, officials said.