Bemetara (Chhattisgarh) : Rescue operation is going on in the presence of the family members of 7 missing workers in the gunpowder factory at Borsi-Pirda village under Berla block in Bemetara since Sunday morning. About 12 JCBs and chain-machines have been deployed for rescue work on the spot. The MLA talked to the villagers protesting outside the factory and assured them of all possible help.
A tense situation prevailed near the explosives manufacturing factory blast site as villagers, particularly those who claimed their relatives were missing after the incident, staged a protest. A large number of police personnel were deployed around the factory premises near Pirda village in Bemetara district and officials were trying to pacify the villagers.
The NDRF team started the work of removing the debris from 5 am. To prevent any further accidents from happening again, 10 technical expert soldiers of the army have also been called and they reached Borsi in the morning. Today security arrangements have been increased at the site of the incident.
Bemetara Collector Ranbir Sharma, MP Ramkrishna Sahu and administrative staff have reached the spot this morning. Bemetara MLA Dipesh Sahu has visited the spot and took stock of the rescue work. The MLA talked to the villagers protesting outside the factory and assured them of all possible help.
The explosion in the gunpowder factory of Borsi-Pirda village left one person dead and six others injured. After this accident, the injured were admitted to Mekahara Hospital in the capital Raipur, out of which 5 injured have been discharged. The condition of one of them is said to be critical. Bemetara Collector Ranbir Sharma has confirmed the death of a laborer in the accident.
The nearby villagers were adamant in their demand to go inside the factory. Many times they have also had scuffles with the police. The villagers have also protested against the entry of politicians and journalists inside. The villagers have also stopped many journalists from the capital Raipur from going inside. Today a large number of villagers have erected a pandal in front of the factory and sat on a dharna there.
Meanwhile, Government officials were yet to confirm about the number of missing workers following the incident and said everything will be clear when the huge pile of debris is removed from the blast site. Some eyewitnesses had told local news channels that at least 100 persons were working in the explosives manufacturing factory when the blast took place. They claimed several persons were missing and feared trapped under the debris.
The explosion at the factory had left a nearly 30-foot-deep crater, officials earlier said. Rescue operation, involving the State Disaster Response Force, police and district administration officials, resumed on Sunday morning. The local villagers obstructed the fire brigade, earth movers and ambulances engaged in the rescue exercise from entering the factory premises.
Amid the protest, the administration allowed members of eight families, who claimed their relatives working in the factory at the time of the blast were missing, to enter the premises, an official here said. Police and protesters had a heated argument as the security personnel tried to remove the tents where villagers were sitting in protest in front of the factory's gate.
Bemetara Superintendent of Police Ramkrishna Sahu said some factory workers were reported to be missing and feared trapped under the debris after the blast, but as of now "we cannot tell the number as the rescue operation is still underway." "We have been trying to pacify the protesters," he said. Of the six injured persons, four were discharged after treatment at a hospital in Raipur, Sahu said.
Another official said the rescue operation was underway with precautions as some gases were leaking from the debris and there was risk of a blast there as explosive materials were buried under the rubble. The state government has ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident and said action will be taken against those found guilty.
The kin of the deceased will receive a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh, while Rs 50,000 each will be given to the injured who will also be provided treatment by the government, it said.
Ishwar Khare, in-charge of a 13-member SDRF team from neighbouring Durg district, on Saturday said, "As per information, a two-storey building collapsed in the blast at the explosives manufacturing factory. Some people might have been trapped under the debris and a search is underway."
The blast has left a 30-40 feet deep crater. Some body parts were found in the debris. After the entire debris is removed, details will be known, he said. Rajkumar Yadav, a resident of Borsi village adjacent to the factory, said his 20-year-old son, who worked in the unit, was missing after the blast. Shopkeepers in the area had said the impact of the blast was felt in a radius of about 4 kilometres. (with PTI inputs)
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Blast At Gunpowder Factory In Chhattisgarh's Bemetara; One Dead, Six Injured
