NAGPUR: A post-midnight explosion ripped through the RDX crystallisation facility of Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) at Chakdoh-Bazargaon, 40km off Nagpur, killing one worker and injuring at least 25.
The blast at 12.30am Thursday reduced the two-storey unit to rubble, with flames leaping so high they were seen 1.5km away. Shockwaves knocked down earthen blast walls and damaged buildings as far as 2km, including a hotel. The deceased was identified as Mayur Ganvir (31), of Chandrapur, who was working in a nearby laboratory. He died instantly when a metal door ripped off its hinge and struck his head. Even workers stationed 700m away were struck by flying debris. Doctors said 17 of the injured were admitted to a Nagpur private hospital, seven in the ICU. "Two are critical," said Dr Pinak Dande.
This is the second fatal explosion at SDAL - one of India's largest private defence manufacturers - in less than two years. In Dec 2023, nine workers, including women, died while handling TNT. Critics said repeated accidents highlight systemic lapses in safety enforcement.
Survivors said smoke filled the RDX unit just before alarms sounded. "Suddenly smoke began billowing, and we were choking. Our supervisor asked us to rush out. I ran 600 metres, then explosions ripped through the building and a rock hit my head," one injured worker said. Another, resting in the canteen, was struck by splinters despite being 700m away.
"The ground shook like an earthquake," said a worker. "The noise was so loud, I couldn't hear my own screams," said another. "I saw friends collapse, blood everywhere. We ran blindly, terrified, but no one was there to help." Enraged workers blocked the factory gates after the blast.
"This isn't the first time. We're just numbers to them," said a survivor, demanding justice. "If the load stored nearby had exploded, none of us would have survived."
Police initially filed an accidental death case, later upgrading it to death by negligence against SDAL management after Ganvir's autopsy. Police cordoned off the still-scorched site, where heat delayed forensic entry. Intelligence agencies also inspected the factory amid concerns of sabotage, given its role in the country's defence supply chain. SDAL had earlier been hit by a major cyberattack that compromised sensitive data.
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