Six killed, 18 hurt in Maha army depot blast

At least six people were killed and 18 injured in a massive explosion at Pulgaon-based Central Ammunition Depot (CAD) in Marashtra’s Wardha district, around 110 kilometres from Nagpur, Tuesday morning.

The explosion took place when employees from another ordnance factory employees and contract workers were destroying unused, 23 mm Shilka antiaircraft ammunition rounds in depot.

The operation was taking place under the technical supervision of CAD staff, said BB Pande, the defence PRO. The ammunition was made at the ordnance factory in Khamaria, in Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), and brought to the CAD in Pulgaon to be destroyed. “Today morning, while carrying out the demolition of old explosives by the staff of ordnance factory, there was an accident...” said Pande.

Stocks of the ammunition were taken to Pulgaon because the CAD has the space and the expertise to carry out the operation, which was carried out by the staff of ordnance factory, Khamaria, with the help of staff supplied by an authorised contractor. The contract workers dug a pit and placed a sandbag over the explosives.

Among the victims was an army person, an employee of the ordnance factory in Khamaria and four contract workers. All the injured were taken to a nearby hospital at Sawangi in Wardha district, where the condition of three of them was reported to be critical.

This is the second major blast in the depot in two years. In May 2016, 18 people were killed in a major fire in the depot while disposing of explosives. Stocks at the depot include assorted weaponry including bombs, grenades, shells, rifles, and other explosives. All the ordnance produced in different factories arrives at this facility before it is sent out to various forward bases.

NAGPUR:

PTI An injured victim being treated at a hospital after a blast took place at the field range near Central Ammunition Depot in Pulgaon, Wardha, Tuesday.