Jabalpur Blast: More than a dozen workers injured in explosion at ordnance factory; 1 missing

New Delhi: More than a dozen employees were injured in a massive explosion at the Ordnance Factory Khamaria in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur district on Tuesday morning, police said.

The blast took place around 9.45 am when explosives were being filled with bombs in a refilling section of the factory, the official said. The condition of two of the injured is stated to be critical, who have been admitted to the hospital.

He said another employee was missing and possibly buried under the debris of the section in which the blast took place.

According to eyewitnesses, the explosion was so powerful that it was heard by people even a few kilometers away. Ordnance Factory Khamaria is one of the premier arms production units under the Department of Defence Production.

More than a dozen workers were injured in the blast and efforts were on to trace a missing labourer, who was buried under the debris of the building, the official said.

He said an inquiry has been ordered into the incident and the exact cause of the blast will be known only after the investigation is over. The fire brigade and security personnel of the factory launched relief and rescue operations, the official said.