A state of tension loomed large on the day of rest in close proximity to the Pirda explosive production facility explosion site in Chhattisgarh as locals, especially those asserting the absence of their kin following the incident, initiated a demonstration.
A substantial contingent of law enforcement officers encircled the factory premises near Pirda village in Bemetara district, while authorities endeavored to mollify the populace.
An individual met their demise, and a minimum of six others sustained injuries in the detonation at the Special Blasts Limited close to Pirda village in Berla development block on the prior day, wherein search teams also retrieved fragmented remains.
Authorities had not yet ascertained the count of absent laborers post the occurrence and conveyed assurance that clarity would ensue upon the removal of the extensive mound of wreckage from the blast vicinity.
Several eyewitnesses relayed to local media outlets that roughly a hundred individuals were engaged in the production of explosives at the factory when the explosion occurred. They voiced concern over numerous persons unaccounted for, feared to be ensnared beneath the rubble.
The blast at the factory resulted in an approximately 30-foot-deep cavity, as stated by officials earlier. The endeavor to rescue, involving the State Disaster Response Force, law enforcement, and district administration personnel, recommenced on the subsequent day.
Residents from Borsi, Pirda, and neighboring locales erected a temporary shelter in front of the factory and conducted a sit-in demonstration. They impeded the ingress of fire brigades, excavation machinery, and ambulances deployed in the rescue operation.
During the protest, authorities granted access to the premises for members of eight families who alleged their relatives, employed in the factory at the time of the explosion, were missing, stated an official source.
Friction ensued between law enforcement and demonstrators as security personnel endeavored to dismantle the shelters where villagers were seated in protest at the factory entrance.
Bemetara Superintendent of Police Ramkrishna Sahu relayed that some factory workers were reportedly unaccounted for and potentially trapped beneath the debris post the explosion, yet definitive figures were unavailable as the rescue operation continued.
“We are endeavoring to assuage the demonstrators,” he remarked. Among the six individuals injured, four were discharged subsequent to treatment at a medical facility in Raipur, Sahu added.
Another official disclosed that the rescue effort was ongoing with precautions due to gas emissions from the wreckage, posing an explosion risk owing to buried explosive materials.
The state government has initiated a judicial inquiry into the incident, vowing accountability for those culpable.
Families of the deceased will receive financial aid amounting to Rs 5 lakh, while each injured individual will be granted Rs 50,000 alongside governmental medical care, as per official statements.
Ishwar Khare, heading a 13-member SDRF team from neighboring Durg district, indicated, “According to reports, a two-story structure collapsed in the explosion at the explosives production facility. The possibility of individuals being trapped beneath the debris is being investigated.”
The explosion resulted in a crater of 30-40 feet in depth. Remnants of individuals were discovered amidst the debris. Further details will emerge following the complete clearance of the wreckage, he added. Rajkumar Yadav, a resident of Borsi village neighboring the factory, lamented the disappearance of his 20-year-old son, employed at the facility, post the blast. Traders in the vicinity noted that the impact of the explosion reverberated within a radius of approximately 4 kilometers.
