Guwahati: Four workers were killed and another sustained minor injuries in an explosion at the Ladi Steel industrial unit at Pangram in Assam’s Cachar district on Sunday.
The explosion occurred at around 11.03 a.m. in Udharbond constituency.
Officials of the district administration and Cachar Police, along with personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), reached the factory soon after the incident. Local residents and factory workers also assisted in recovering the bodies.
“NDRF personnel have been asked to conduct a thorough search of the premises to rule out the possibility of any worker remaining trapped inside,” Cabinet Minister Kaushik Rai said.
Rai, who visited the site along with Cachar Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Gupta and Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjib Saikia, said the exact cause of the explosion was yet to be established.
“Our immediate priority was to recover the victims and secure the premises. A detailed investigation will determine the cause of the explosion and whether there were any lapses in the safety arrangements for workers,” Rai said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the next of kin of the deceased workers.
Udharbond MLA Rajdeep Goala said three of the deceased were residents of the locality, while the fourth, a driver, was from Tripura.
“The bodies have been sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem examination. The injured worker is undergoing treatment at Udharbond Hospital and is out of danger,” Goala said.
The Cachar district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, while Cachar Police and the Labour Department have launched separate investigations into the cause of the explosion and the factory’s safety measures.
Responding to queries from reporters, Rai said the investigation would also examine claims by local residents that smaller explosions had occurred at the factory on earlier occasions.
“If such incidents had taken place and were not reported to the administration, that aspect will also be investigated. The inquiries will cover the functioning of the unit, labour safety measures and all circumstances connected with the tragedy,” he said.
Police have detained the factory manager and other management personnel for questioning.
Goala said the factory owners, who were reportedly out of station, had been asked to appear before the investigating authorities on Monday.
“The Assistant Labour Commissioner will conduct a separate inquiry into workplace conditions, statutory safeguards and the safety facilities provided to workers at the unit,” he said.
SSP Sanjib Saikia said an FIR would be registered and a formal investigation initiated. A forensic team from Guwahati is expected to examine the site, collect samples and determine the exact cause of the explosion.
The district administration has also initiated discussions with the factory management on providing additional compensation to the bereaved families.