A powerful explosion rocked Khamaria area on Tuesday at 10:20 am, leading to the untimely death of two employees and leaving two others severely injured at the Ordnance Factory Khamaria (OFK). The explosion occurred when four employees were engaged in the process of boiling out a warhead of a Pechora missile at Building No 200, Section F-6. Around a dozen workers in a neighbouring building were also injured due to the massive blast. The deceased have been identified as Alexander Toppo (42), a native of Jabalpur, and Randhir Kumar, a resident of Kanpur. Both were posted as Danger Building Workers. Randhir Kumar succumbed to his severe burn injuries at the hospital, while the rescue team discovered nine body parts, though his head remains missing. A forensic team has been called in for a thorough investigation and to help identify the body parts. It is important to note that the Indian Air Force had procured Pechora missiles from the Soviet Union until 1974, and a large stock of discarded missiles were stored by the Air Force. OFK is engaged for refurbishing the warheads of Pechora anti-aircraft missiles for the Indian Air Force.

 

The explosion was so powerful that it shook an area of 4-5 kilometre radius around OFK, causing residents to experience tremors similar to an earthquake. Building No 200 was obliterated. Upon hearing the explosion, OFK’s Chief General Manager, M N Haldar, along with other officers and employees, rushed the spot of incident. The OFK fire brigade swiftly arrived on the spot and managed to douse the flames. The injured were immediately taken to the OFK Hospital, with three critically injured workers include Shyam Thakur, Randhir Kumar and Chandan Kumar, being transferred to Mahakoshal Hospital. Unfortunately, Randhir Kumar succumbed to his injuries during treatment. A rescue team launched a search for the fourth missing employee, Alexander Toppo, and found nine of his body parts, although his head was not recovered till Tuesday’s nightfall. Forensic investigations will be conducted to identify the body parts. In addition to the two fatalities, around a dozen employees working in the neighbouring building sustained partial injuries due to the structural damage caused by the explosion. All of the injured are being treated at the OFK Hospital and most of them discharged after receiving primary medical attention. OFK Chief General Manager MN Haldar, accompanied by other officers, visited Mahakoshal Hospital to inquire about the condition of the critically injured. He has ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of the explosion. Besides this, Member of Parliament Ashish Dubey and MLA Ashok Rohani also visited the hospital, instructing doctors to provide all necessary treatment to the injured. They assured that arrangements would be made for airlifting the injured to other hospitals if needed.

 

 

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has expressed deep condolences for the untimely deaths of employees in the recent accident at the Ordinance Factory Khamaria. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and urged the administration to ensure their proper treatment. To assess the situation, Divisional Commissioner, Abhay Verma and IG (Jabalpur Zone), Anil Singh Kushwaha visited the site of the incident. They were accompanied by Collector, Deepak Saxena, Superintendent of Police, Aditya Pratap Singh and Additional Collector, Misha Singh. During their visit, the administrative and police officials sought information from the army officers about the possible causes of the accident. According to DGM, Kailash Chandra, the explosion occurred at 10:25 AM in Section F-6, Building No 200, where 16 employees were injured. Of these, three severely injured workers were admitted to the Mahakoshal Hospital, while the rest were treated at the OFK Hospital. Disappointingly, two employees, Alexander Toppo and Ranveer Kumar, lost their lives in the incident.

 

GOC Lt Gen PS Shekhawat reacts with swift action

 

Receiving the information of tragic incident, General Officer Commanding Madhya Bharat Area, Lieutenant General PS Shekhawat immediately ordered necessary actions. As per the guidelines, a Quick Reaction Team led by Brigadier KK Sharma, Commandant, 506 Army Base Workshop Jabalpur along with an ambulance and a bomb squad team led by Brigadier Vasant Kumar, Commandant Central Ordnance Depot Jabalpur, immediately reached the site of explosion at OFK. In addition, Sniffer Dog Team of HQ Madhya Bharat Area also reached the location to assist in the investigation and ensure security of the area. Lt Gen PS Shekhawat also visited the blast site and emphasised Madhya Bharat Area’s commitment towards rescue and relief operations for the affected Defence Civilian employees. Investigations are currently underway to ascertain the cause of the explosion. Teams present at the spot are working diligently to collect evidence and ensure the safety of the surrounding area. The priority is the safety of defence personnel and civilians in the surrounding area. Lt Gen Shekhawat has assured that Madhya Bharat Area will continue to provide all possible necessary assistance at this critical time.