At least four workers were killed in a suspected LPG cylinder explosion at an iron casting factory in Assam’s Cachar district on Sunday, police said. The blast took place in the afternoon at a shared industrial compound housing Kade Global Infrastructure LLP and IRID Casting Works LLP in Pangram under the Udharbond police station area.
According to police, a sudden explosion ripped through the factory, leaving several workers injured. The injured were rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where four workers were declared dead.
Preliminary investigations suggest that an LPG cylinder being used during the casting process exploded, causing the incident.
The deceased have been identified as Kiran Munda, Appu Baraik, Shyamal Gour and Sagar Nath.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government was closely monitoring the situation and had detained four people in connection with the case.
“Industrial negligence will not be tolerated and we will take firm action against any lapses,” the chief minister said.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the factory manager and three other individuals have been detained for questioning as police investigate possible safety violations.
The chief minister also announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased worker from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
“I have asked Shri @RajdeepGoala14, MLA to meet the families and extend all assistance they need in this tough time. We will offer the families Rs 5 lakh each under CM Relief Fund,” Sarma said.
Assam Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Kaushik Rai visited the factory to review the situation and confirmed that multiple agencies would investigate the cause of the explosion.
“Multiple probes will be carried out by various agencies to ascertain the exact cause of the blast. If any lapse is found, action will be taken against the culprit,” Rai said. He added that separate investigations would be conducted by the district administration, police and the Labour Commissioner’s office to determine whether any safety norms had been violated.