Fear, horror in Jabalpur as series of explosions rock Ordnance Factory in Madhya Pradesh

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL/JABALPUR: Dozens of explosions that led to a huge fire in the ordnance factory caused panic in Jabalpur on Saturday evening.

The blasts continued for over an hour while the fire engulfed the buildings on the premises of the defence factory at Khamaria in Jabalpur.

Over 100 blasts were heard. The first blast was reported at around 6.25 pm in the filling station of the factory that manufacture defence equipment including ammunition components, shells and other hardware.

After the explosions, fire engulfed the localities surrounding the unit. Dozens of fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The explosions were heard one after the other. However, there were no casualties because the factory was shut, then.

Still, it was feared that some persons may have been trapped. The unit-Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK) is located at Khamaria in Jabalpur.  Army men also reached the spot after the incident.

Residents in nearby localities were shocked as blasts shook the houses, doors and windows. The fire and smoke added to the worries. The workers had left the factory at 5.30 pm. Hence, there was no casualty.

Some employees were working in different part of the OFK though. In several kilometers around the factory, there was fear because of the explosions and the fire. Initially, such was the fear that rescue employees were hestitant to enter the campus.

The bombs were getting exploded one after the other in the filling station. While two buildings were destroyed, several other nearby structures were also damaged.

The figure of those injured in the incident was not clear. Unofficial figures ranged from six to 20. But authorities insisted that there were no injuries or casualites.

The fire kept raging till late night. More than 50 fire tenders were pressed into service and finally it was controlled. A high-level inquiry would be conducted to find out the lapses and the reasons for the blasts.