Nagpur blast: Probe points to company’s negligence; safety agencies also liable, says minister

Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday said prima facie there was “negligence” on the part of the Nagpur-based SBL Energy Limited, where a blast claimed 19 lives, and safety measures were not followed by the explosives manufacturer.

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) and the labour commissionerate also failed to ensure safety practices in explosive manufacturing units in the region, and their accountability must be fixed, Bawankule told reporters here.

19 persons died and 23 were injured after a blast occurred at the SBL Energy Limited factory, a mining and industrial explosives manufacturer, at Raulgaon in Katol tehsil of the district on Sunday. Of the injured persons, 13 were in critical condition, the district guardian minister said.

He said the company would pay a compensation of Rs 75 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and Rs 25 lakh to the injured persons. Besides, the Centre will give Rs 2 lakh and the state government will provide Rs 5 lakh to the families of the deceased.

The victims’ families would get a total compensation of Rs 82 lakh, Bawankule said.

A rehabilitation package would also be drawn up for those who suffered physical disabilities in the incident, he added.

The blast took place at the detonator assembly plant of SBL Energy Limited, the minister informed.

He held a meeting with state minister Ashish Jaiswal, Ramtek MP Shyamkumar Barwe, Katol MLA Sharad Singh Thakur, the divisional commissioner, district collector, superintendent of police, and officials of PESO and DISH in connection with the incident.

The police have arrested nine directors of the explosives manufacturing company in connection with the incident, officials said.

The Kalmeshwar police here have registered a case against 21 directors and shareholders of the SBL Energy Limited under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, they said.

Bawankule said the primary report (by safety agencies) had indicated “negligence” on the part of the explosives company and that safety measures were not followed properly.

A detailed report was expected in a month, he added.

The minister, who holds charge of the revenue department, said it was decided in the meeting that apart from the company, accountability would be fixed on PESO, DISH officials and the labour commissionerate.

They have not followed the inspection duties and safety measures properly in the last couple of years. Hence, the divisional commissioner, collector and SP would fix the responsibilty and if needed, cases would be registered against officials of the safety agencies, he said.

Bawankule also said that they held discussions with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and briefed him about four-five incidents of blasts at explosives manufacturing factories in Nagpur district in the past few years.

The divisional commissioner will prepare a report on all these blasts. It will be sent to the Centre so that necessary amendments can be made to the laws concerned, to frame proper SOPs and to prevent such incidents in future, he said.

The management of SBL Energy Limited, which was shut after Sunday’s blast, has agreed to continue paying salaries of all its employees till the company starts its operations again, Bawankule said.

Skill development training would be imparted to unskilled workers and only those certified would be allowed to work when the company restarts operations, he said.

The collector would also conduct an inspection and review of skilled and unskilled labourers in the small, medium and large industries in Nagpur district, the minister said.