30 blasts rock ordnance factory in Jabalpur

POLICE SAID THE ACCESS TO THE FACTORY WAS RESTRICTED BY

THE AUTHORITIES

AFTER THE EXPLOSIONS WERE HEARD

Series of explosions and a major fire took place at ordnance factory in Jabalpur, nearly 320 km east of Bhopal on Saturday evening.

Local sources said the number of explosions was more than 30, but it couldn’t be confirmed.

Initially, there were reports that 20 people were injured in the blasts but authorities later confirmed that as the explosions took place after the workers had come out, there was no casualties or injuries to people.

The explosions took place on the premises of the Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK). Nearly 50 fire tenders were rushed to douse the fire. The high flames could be seen from a distance, interrupted with intermittent explosions. Two buildings were damaged in the fire.

Khamaria police said blasts took place in the filling station of the factory. They said army personnel started rescue operation on the premises at 6.24pm.

Police said the access to the factory was restricted by the authorities after the explosions were heard. Nearly 2-km area from factory was barricaded and traffic was diverted.

Rioting prison inmates in the Gurdaspur central jail fought pitched battles with security forces till wee hours of Saturday, but were their attempts were thwarted by heavy tear gas shelling.

Punjab Police’s elite SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) commandos, armed police as well as police personnel from neighbouring Amritsar, Pathankot and Tarn Taran districts were rushed to the Gurdaspur jail to control the violence.

Police sources said on Saturday the situation has been brought under control and a high-level probe is being instituted to find what went wrong in the jail. The district police have booked 30 inmates for attempt to murder and various other charges. The jail authorities have also shifted 21 inmates, identified as troublemakers, to other prisons in the state.

Tensions started on Friday morning after five gangsters attacked two warders. As the inmates went on a rampage, jail staff had to fire at least 20 rounds of gunfire. After brief calm, fresh violence erupted after a rumour spread that the jail staff had killed the five inmates responsible for the morning violence.