Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the explosion at an explosives manufacturing unit in Raulgaon, located in Nagpur district.
The blast, which occurred at SBL Energy Limited under the Nagpur Rural police jurisdiction, claimed 17 lives and left 18 others injured. The injured have been shifted to hospitals in Nagpur for treatment.
According to the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office, financial assistance will also be provided by the company concerned, in addition to the compensation announced by the State government.
Calling the incident “extremely unfortunate and tragic,” Fadnavis said he remains in continuous contact with the local administration. The District Collector and Superintendent of Police reached the site soon after the explosion. Teams from the NDRF and SDRF, along with officials from PESO and DISH, have been deployed to intensify rescue and relief operations.
“I pay heartfelt tribute to those who lost their lives and share in the grief of their families,” the Chief Minister said, adding that he has prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
An eyewitness told ANI that locals rushed to assist victims immediately after the blast. “I tried to pull out as many people as I could. We put them in our own cars to rescue them,” he said.The exact cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, and investigations are underway