17 persons killed, 18 injured in blast at explosives factory in Nagpur

In a devastating tragedy that shook Maharashtra on Sunday morning, at least 17 people lost their lives and 18 others were injured in a powerful explosion at an explosives manufacturing facility in Nagpur district, police officials said.

The blast ripped through the SBL Energy Limited factory — a prominent manufacturer of mining and industrial explosives — at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil shortly after dawn. According to company representatives, the explosion occurred at the detonator packing unit between 7 am and 7.15 am, tearing through the premises with catastrophic force.

Thick plumes of smoke rose into the sky as chaos unfolded within the factory complex. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, with a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joining local authorities to carry out intensive rescue operations amid twisted metal and shattered debris.

The injured were swiftly transported to hospitals in Nagpur for urgent medical attention, while anxious families gathered outside seeking news of their loved ones.

District Collector Vipin Itankar and Superintendent of Police Harrsh Podar personally oversaw operations at the site, as officials began piecing together the sequence of events that led to the fatal explosion. A company official said a detailed statement would be issued soon.

The Nagpur tragedy comes barely a day after a deadly blast at a cracker manufacturing unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district claimed 21 lives, compounding concerns over safety protocols in hazardous industries across the country.

With PTI inputs