CAD carries out clearance of OFK ammos

Wardha: The Central Ammunition Depot (CAD), Pulgaon, successfully carried out clearance operation of unserviceable ammunitions of Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK), at Sonegaon demolition ground, where a blast had killed six and injured 18 on November 20. OFK had expressed its inability to carry out the operation after the incident.

The clearance operation was conducted between December 10 to 14, in which 400 unexploded bombs (UXOs) and 29 metric tonnes (MT) sensitive factory rejected unserviceable ammunitions, including 8 MT of blast affected ammunition, were cleared, said CAD officials.

CAD Pulgaon deployed a team of two officers, six junior commissioned officers, 14 others and 20 industrial personnel, led by commandant, CAD Pulgaon, for the clearance operation.

Five of the six who died in the blast on November 20 were contract workers. The incident had occurred when OFK personnel and contractual workers were destroying unserviceable ammunition on Sonegaon ground, which is located 7km from CAD camp. A blast occurred when a worker was carrying a box of ammunition to the pit, where it was supposed to be destroyed through controlled explosion. The operation was being held under the technical supervision of the OFK staff while workers were engaged by Chandak Construction.