Guwahati, July 27 (IANS) Five persons, including the owner of a factory, have been arrested in connection with the explosion at a rod manufacturing unit in Assam’s Cachar district that claimed the lives of four workers, officials said on Monday.
The arrests were made following directions from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as police intensified their investigation into the fatal industrial accident that occurred at the company’s Pangram unit under the Udharband Assembly constituency.
The arrested include the firm’s owner, Rakesh Kumar Surana. Police said the remaining accused were associated with the operation and management of the factory. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) has also visited the factory premises to collect scientific evidence to determine the sequence of events that led to the explosion.
The incident occurred on Sunday at around 11 a.m. when molten metal reportedly exploded inside the factory’s processing unit, killing four workers on the spot. The blast was so powerful that it was heard across the locality, with locals claiming that the victims’ bodies were severely mutilated in the explosion.
The deceased have been identified as Appu Boraik, Kiron Munda, Shyamal Gaur and Sagar Nath, a resident of Agartala in neighbouring Tripura. After doctors at Silchar Medical College and Hospital confirmed their deaths, the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.
Police, Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot immediately after the explosion and rescued several injured workers. While some were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, others sustained minor injuries and were later discharged.
The Assam government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the four deceased workers. Udharband MLA Rajdeep Goala, accompanied by Cachar Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Gupta, handed over the financial assistance to the bereaved families and assured them of all possible support from the state government.
Earlier, Assam Minister Kaushik Rai had announced that a magisterial inquiry, a police investigation and a separate probe by the Labour Department had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the explosion and examine whether mandatory industrial safety protocols were followed. He had also said the district administration had sought details from the company regarding safety measures in place at the factory.
Meanwhile, residents alleged that smaller explosions had occurred at the factory in the past but were never officially reported. Family members of one of the deceased workers also alleged that the management initially attempted to conceal the severity of Sunday’s incident.
Police said these allegations would also be examined as part of the ongoing investigation. Officials said strict legal action would be taken against anyone found responsible for negligence or violation of industrial safety norms.
The incident has once again brought workplace safety and enforcement of industrial regulations in Assam under scrutiny.
–IANS
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