Four persons, including a resident of Tripura’s Agartala, died in an explosion at a metal processing industry in Assam’s Cachar district on Sunday morning, police said.
Event Context
The deceased were identified as Appu Boraik (32), Kiron Munda (28), Shyamal Gaur and Sagar Nath from Agartala. Police said all four died on the spot. After doctors at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) confirmed the deaths, the bodies were sent for postmortem examination.
“Such incidents have happened several times before. The victims never showed up afterwards and, as per our knowledge, they were workers from other states who were quietly sent back. We want a proper investigation into everything,” a local resident alleged, requesting anonymity.
Team Analysis
“The sound was deafening. When we reached the spot, we saw that the bodies had been torn apart, with body parts scattered over a wide area,” a local resident said.
Local residents alleged that similar explosions of comparatively lower intensity had taken place at the factory several times in the past but were never officially reported.
“We were told that he had been injured, but they did not allow us to go inside. Now they are saying that he has died, but even then we were not allowed to see him immediately. This shows they were trying to hide the entire incident. We demand a proper investigation,” one of Appu Boraik’s family members alleged. Appu is survived by his wife and a child.
Rai said that if evidence of previous incidents emerges during the investigation, the government will examine those as well.
A large number of residents from Pangram and neighbouring areas gathered outside the factory on Sunday afternoon and staged a protest, alleging repeated safety violations and demanding strict action against those responsible.
Match Outlook
“The bodies have been identified by the family members. A case will be registered and further investigation is underway,” Cachar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sanjeev Saikia said.
“As I said, a four-layer investigation is underway and everyone found accountable for the mishap will be brought under the law. Not only this, the state government will also examine the safety measures being followed in similar industries across the state,” he said.
The owners of Kade Global Infrastructure LLP could not be reached for comment.
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According to police, the explosion took place around 11am at Kade Global Infrastructure LLP’s metal processing unit in Pangram under the Udharbond constituency.
Police, fire and emergency personnel rushed to the factory soon after the explosion and rescued several injured workers. While some were shifted to hospitals for treatment, others sustained minor injuries and later returned home.
Locals said the blast was so powerful that it was heard across the locality.
According to the police, Kade Global Infrastructure LLP was established in the area a few years ago and operates two units where scrap metal collected from different sources is processed. Sunday’s explosion occurred at the newer unit in Pangram, which was set up around a year ago.
Assam minister Kaushik Rai, who visited the spot, said a magisterial inquiry has been ordered along with a police investigation and a separate probe by the district labour commissioner to ascertain whether mandatory safety measures for workers were followed.
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“The district administration has sought details from the owners regarding the safety measures being followed in the factory. The exact cause of the explosion is also being investigated. At present, a four-layer investigation is underway,” Rai said.
He said chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called him to take stock of the situation and assured that the state government will provide ₹5 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
“We will also ask the company owners to provide adequate compensation to the family members,” he added.
